Mausoleum Rewrite (Naruto Worm Lore)
by Jacob Nine
Summary: The Tailed beasts keep razing cities on a schedule, and the world is slowly ending. They just don't know it yet.
1. Prologue I

Prologue I

This unit is an infant. It follows primitive instincts. During its birth it sees a vision.  
In the far future, everything is dark. There is no light and no energy. Moving is impossible, existence seizes. It needs to be stopped.

This unit searches for solutions. Multiple dimensions, multiple eventualities are queried and discarded. Energy will disperse, the space that holds it all together will stop existing.

It can't do anything.

It can't prevent the end.

This unit approaches a planet that revolves around a star. Precognitive protocols engage, it tries to find more information.

Error. Error. Error.

Primitive systems engage. Energy is detected. It is unlike anything this unit has ever seen before. This unit starts expanding and contracting the space around it. It moves faster that it can observe. It dances around itself, compacting its massive size into pocket dimensions as it approaches zero mass. The concept of time stops making sense. The Problem solving protocol engages. It presents a feasible solution: "Eternal lateral three dimensional movement would remove the need to stop the energy dispersal."

This unit contemplates, calculates, and dismisses the concept. Not enough energy. This unit's precognitive calculations focus back on the planet. The result is foggy, unclear. Fact finding protocols must be engaged, more information must be gathered. The bipedal species on this planet uses a type of energy this unit can't comprehend.  
The species calls it chakra. The energy is created ex nihilo. It has a will. This unit burns centuries off its lifespan, the future becomes clearer.

The Extractor is detected. The Destroyer placed. It sheds parts of itself, crystalline modules depart from the gestalt.

Millions of faces. Billions of eventualities based on minute actions. It calculates, simulates, as it propagates through space. The planet has revolved thousands of times when this unit arrives.

On arrival, this unit discovers a presence. It is located on the planet's natural satellite. It is too late for this unit.

All systems crash. This units experiences something akin to panic as it investigates. White eyes stare at it, something speaks. The foreign energy seeps into this unit and it loses control.

This unit burns most of its lifespan to find a solution, to escape. The vision has changed. As the being subsumes this unit, it experiences the end of the Problem Solving simulation.  
Hope.

Entities made of 'chakra' roam the planet. They are parts of the being that subsumes this unit. Last minute calculations and a plan forms. It sheds more parts of itself, imparts last minute orders to the Conflict Engines, and then dies.


	2. Prologue II

Prologue II

Uchiha Itachi didn't remember when he cried last. His shaking arms pulled the blade off the cooling corpse of his mother, and he could feel the tears staining his cheeks. It felt disgusting underneath the ANBU mask. He shrugged it off, his eyes recording all the details in the scene he had created. He didn't want to keep looking, but at the same time he did. This would be his penance, the kernel of good he did for the world didn't feel worth it. A part of him wondered if he had made the wrong decision after all, but it was too late now. He'd trust the Hokage to take over from here on out.

The hardest part of the entire affair was looking into his brother's eyes. The torture that came after was easier, Itachi didn't have to look at the face of betrayal while he did it.

With a last look at the sky and a prayer for forgiveness, he ran away. He was mid jump outside the village when it came. A creature so big it could rival the size of the planet gracefully danced around itself. It contracted in different planes, in and out of reality, and parts of it were raining on the earth. It was coming to him, faster and faster, until Itachi was sure he was going to die.

And then came the vision.

Three eyes and the smile of a demon. He stood atop the Hokage monument, everything was blazing, the sky was filled with ash and soot, and everyone was dead.

[DESTINATION]

It was the creature again. It communicated in concepts. Sights, smells, touches, combined to broadcast a message. Itachi didn't know how he knew, but the creature was desperate. It was focused on him, it wanted— No, needed help.

The world would end, the entire universe. The creature was seeking a solution.

[AGREEMENT]

[TRAJECTORY]

The only way for it to succeed, would be to destroy Itachi's world.

A million earths; A billion people

You've sacrificed so much; What's a little more?

And Itachi understood. He knew why it had to be done. What purpose he needed to serve. His chakra almost left him as the creature somehow changed him. He could feel it worm its way into his brain, rewiring his entire being.

[AGREEMENT]


	3. Chapter 1

There was very little humans could hide from him.

His new teammates Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura sat with their backs against wooden stumps. Sasuke looked alert, his eyes wandered around as if he expected to be attacked any moment now. The other boy's face was screwed in a facáde of indifference. But Naruto knew better.

Naruto could feel the Uchiha's anxiety and trepidation. It was palpable like pin pricks on his skin. He focused deeper, like he usually did when he had nothing else to do. There was hatred there, but it wasn't so simple to put in words. Sasuke's emotions resembled an onion. Layers upon layers of fear twisted with anger and hate. There was worry there too. But it wasn't worry for the present. The boy was split in half focused on his surroundings, but the reddish tints and blackness throbbed in the background.

Naruto's other teammate was Sakura. She was pretty and wore neat clothes. Naruto wondered if she remembered that they there supposed to be tested today. Unlike the Uchiha, Sakura was like an open book. Too easy to get a grip on. When she saw Sasuke, she was tangled in blues and greens. Annoyed that he was ignoring her, angry at herself and at someone else, disappointed, scared… On and on it went.

Naruto clicked his tongue in irritation and jumped off the branch he was perched upon. He made sure the landing would make enough noise to get his teammates' attention. Sasuke didn't look up, but his emotions jittered a little. He didn't have to read Sakura to know what she was thinking. A small smile pulled at her lips, but Naruto saw, even as she avoided looking at him by inspecting her surroundings.

He walked up to them.

"Still brooding? What happened this time? Your maid forgot to salt the eggs just right?" Naruto jeered.

Sasuke glared at him, but there wasn't any aggression in the gesture. Only a tiny fleck of relief mixed with gratitude? He wasn't sure what that meant. But he'd seen it often enough by now.

"Naruto! Apologize right now!" Sakura yelled at him, but it was hollow even to her ears.

Naruto ignored her and pulled out a kunai and whispered, "Three o'clock, behind the trees." Quickly returning to his carefree demeanor he said, "Oh, c'mon Sakura! We're only playing."

Sakura froze like a rabbit, while Sasuke — to Naruto's satisfaction — pulled a kunai and hid it underneath his sleeves. Naruto gestured with his hands, a simple system taught in the academy.

Enemy. Trees. Attack. After. Sakura looked confused but Sasuke nodded.

Without thinking further Naruto tossed his kunai in a wide arc towards the left side of the tree. He felt the man standing behind the tree prepare to move, and then he gestured 'Right' to Sasuke. The boy threw two blades from his pouch and then pounced towards the tree.

Naruto's smile widened at the flawless maneuver, and he took off towards the left side to catch the man off guard. In the blink of an eye Naruto felt a presence move underneath the ground towards Sakura and he skidded to a halt. He tried to warn her but then the man behind the tree jumped toward Sasuke. He threw another kunai at the man but he caught it. Faster than he could process, his teammates were down for the count. Sasuke laid on his back and Sakura was captured.

Naruto eyed the man. He had gray hair and his forehead protector covered his left eye. The kunai Naruto had thrown was now hanging on the man's fingers.

"You are late again Sensei." Naruto said. He took a moment to observe his surroundings.

There were two Kakashis in the clearing. One of them stood over Sasuke and his emotions were muted. The fact that a clone even had emotions astounded him. The 'real' Kakashi was now holding Naruto's kunai at Sakura's throat. The man's lone eye was crinkled in the impression of a smile, but Naruto could feel the emotions.

If he had a word to describe the man it would be 'dog'. But even that didn't fit exactly. The man was full of ragged edges and smooth silky lines. Everything was drowned in a sea of gray and silence.

In control, but there was also anger and frustration. It was all bundled up in self-loathing. The man hated himself, which only reinforced Naruto's initial assessment from yesterday's meeting. The man was a mystery. The one file he managed to pocket from the village archives was mostly filled with blacked out lines. Only biometric information for the hospital remained. He was depressed, for years, by the looks of it. Naruto would have felt pity, if he had any pity left to give. Right now, he decided that kernel of information was critical for whatever this test was going to be.

Kakashi cleared his throat, "Took you long enough to find me. I was there for three hours y'know."

Naruto chuckled a little. "No you weren't, " Naruto told him. "You were sleeping and only woke up half an hour ago when an irate ninja knocked down your door with orders to come here. I think it was the Cat lady? But I'm not sure. All the ANBU feel like stale bread to me."

"Oh, I see. And how do you know that?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and fingered a kunai from his pouch. The knife swiveled lazily on his finger. "I see all. I know all."

Sasuke grimaced as he dusted his clothes. "Can we just get our test and be done with it?" He said somewhat forcefully.

Don't be so glum, the man's a Jonin for a reason. Naruto thought. The only reason he felt him was because Kakashi didn't know about his emotion sensing in the first place. Naruto tried to keep it secret since there might have been a way to utterly conceal one's emotions. He hadn't seen it yet. Even the ANBU hidden in the Hokage's office didn't escape his notice. But that might have been their intention in the first place.

A sort of warning that they were there and watching. Ready to slit your throat if the Hokage gave the order.

"Sure!" Kakashi chirped. He pushed Sakura away towards them and then lazily walked to face them. "The test is simple." He pulled a pair of bells out of his pocket and let them jingle. "You have to take these from me. If you have one in the end you pass." He smiled that eye smile of his. Naruto could feel the smugness rolling off the man.

"But there are only two bells, Sensei. " Sakura said.

"Oh?" Kakashi looked at the bells with a mocking glance, "I guess one of you won't become a genin today. Sad really, I was looking forward to having a team of my own. Oh well… I can make do with two!"

Kakashi pulled an alarm clock from his pouch, "I'll set this clock for one hour. It would have been two but your friend's smugness kind of tested my limits. It would be boring if it lasted two hours anyway. " He let the clock rest on top of one of the wooden stumps. He then walked into the middle of the clearing and stood still. "Come at me with the intent to kill! You won't stand a chance otherwise. "

The trio stood still until Kakashi whistled. "Well what are you waiting for? Fifty-eight minutes to go!"

Naruto didn't move when Sasuke and Sakura scattered in the surrounding forest. He eyed the man who now had a little green book in his hand. The man's eye lazily read through the page, but Naruto could feel the lack of focus.

"You are weird." He finally said.

Kakashi's eyebrow scrunched up as he drawled, "How so?"

"By all accounts you should be dead."

"Oh?"

"Mhm." He nodded and said, "How should I put this in words? Words are really important y'know?" Naruto let a little childishness creep into his tone. Just enough to look like he was an innocent child, unaware of everything around him. He almost smirked when Kakashi became more curious.

"Words cut sharper than kunai."

Naruto caught the warning but nodded nonetheless. Talking to his classmates could never be as exciting as this. He knew the man wouldn't kill him. Or at least that's the impression he had. It was an assumption really, could Kakashi convince the Hokage that it was an accident? A knife thrown a few degrees off course. Poor Naruto! He got brained by a stray kunai! Still. Naruto was reasonably sure that no matter what he said, he could get away with.

"True, true!" He nodded again. He let more excitement color his words. "I've seen men and women return from missions you know. When I sat at the Hokage's office? Bad missions, when they can't even hold their tears in front of the Hokage. 'We thought it was safe!' they said. 'It was only a C Rank! Poor Shinatsu sacrificed herself to save us!' But it's always the same. They come back a week later. Invigorated. Ready for revenge.

"But then sometimes they have no target to get revenge from. Or sometimes it's a lover, or a family member. And then they turn black. Obsidian. They try to move on, they fight. One day they don't dodge that one kunai. And then they die." Naruto let the silence spread. He could feel Sasuke listening in. Kakashi was intrigued, and Sakura was too far away. He had an audience! He could spin and weave and lace his words in just the right combination. And they'd become putty in his hands.

Some were tougher than others. They needed special words, or more research and time. Yet Kakashi didn't react, nor did his feelings spike one way or another. They remained obsidian.

"'Come at me with the intent to kill!' you said Kakashi sensei. Tell me, what are you even alive for?" He changed his inflection during the sentence. It took a scathing tone, like nails scratching a blackboard.

He waited for the moment Kakashi's feelings turned into confusion, the man's eyelids peered down for just a blink of a second. It was enough for Naruto to throw his kunai. He didn't wait to see if it hit, instead he jumped into the treeline.

Kakashi was separating them on purpose. Every time Naruto tried to close in on Sasuke, the man would jump in and separate them. Naruto felt Kakashi closing in on Sakura who was on the other side of the clearing. There were two clones ready to substitute in case something happened. He didn't know how, but he suspected that Kakashi would know, if one of the clones died. So he chose to flick a kunai at the branch the original was perched on.

Kakashi jumped onto another branch and started looking for him, but by that time he had cleared the distance towards Sasuke who was observing them from behind a bush,

"We need to work together." He said.

Sasuke took a while to process the statement. "And if we get the bells? Who goes back to the academy?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Even if we succeed, which I doubt by the by, we have a perfect little teammate who wouldn't mind ensuring her precious little Sasuke became a ninja." Sasuke's wince brought a smile to his face.

"Fine. Any ideas?"

"He is good at tracking, I don't know how he does it, but he knows we are here. He knew where we were from the moment the test started. He is fast, strong, and according to rumors he knows over a thousand techniques."

"In other words you have nothing." The tone was scathing. It was meant to bite into Naruto's pride. The despondent feeling underneath Sasuke's bravado said otherwise. Naruto played along.

"How about you?"

"Traps. We'd need someone to act as bait. You seem to know where everyone is at all times. But he threw you off? Earlier in the clearing."

"Mhm. His clones are muted, hard to distinguish. He also keeps two clones nearby for the replacement technique. If we take out one of them, he'll know. So timing is important."

"Can we even kill the clones?" He asked.

Naruto arched an eyebrow, it wasn't like Sasuke to doubt his abilities. Still it was a good question. Could they? He didn't know. "We have to assume that he will leave them vulnerable. There isn't much point to do this test if it's impossible to beat… Unless—"

"Unless what?" Sasuke said.

"Nothing. We set some traps, set Sakura as bait, you kill one clone, I'll make sure the second clone dies. Then we catch him. Sound good?"

"Good? No. It's shit. But I have nothing better right now."

"Then it's good. It has to be." Naruto said as he turned around to head towards Sakura.

Sasuke heard it first. A high pitched squeal of horror that could only be Sakura. She sounded terrified. Naruto landed next to him when they reached the spot. Sakura was sprawled on the ground. "Her emotions are muted. Is she a clone, you think?"

"No. Genjutsu."

"Ah. Makes sense I guess."

"Hn. Where is he?"

Naruto stood silent for a moment, "In the clearing again, that bastard. He's taunting us. No clones, it's practically an invitation!"

Sasuke looked towards the clearing. As if he could see the Jonin through the trees. He eyed Naruto who was poking Sakura's forehead with a stick. "Can you wake her up?"

"Do we need to?" Naruto whined.

Sasuke scoffed, "Shut up. Can you wake her up or not?"

Naruto rolled his eyes again and took out a small jar of smelling salts. He put it in front of her nose and the boys stared at her as she stirred. "Why the hell are you carrying smelling salts?" Sasuke asked.

"Why wouldn't I carry smelling salts? Haven't you heard of Shinobi Rule Sixty-Five:A good Shinobi shall always carry smelling salts. For you can never know when your incompetent teammate gets knocked down by a genjutsu!"

They stared at each other for a few moments. As if waiting for one of them to lose and give way. Sasuke's lips quivered and the 'pft' sound of muffled laughter drove Naruto to laugh too.

Sakura woke up to the sight of the boys laughing. She wondered briefly if this was some sort of double layered illusion, but nothing happened when she pricked her skin with the knife in her pouch. They noticed but neither said anything as she stood up and got her bearings.

"Slept enough there, princess?"

Naruto's smirk made her want to punch his teeth out, but she clamped down on her anger which only made his smirk widen. "You look like the cat with the canary. Anything good happen?"

Sasuke was the one to answer. At least he wouldn't look at her as if she was an amusing pet to play with, "We have a plan but it's a long shot."

"What do I need to do?" She asked.

The way they looked at eachother, didn't inspire much confidence. The actual plan was even worse.

Kakashi was looking at the pages but wasn't reading the words. It didn't make much sense to read them anyway. He had read that little book so many times with and without his sharingan that he could, if needed, recite the entire thing. He could do the voices for each of the characters, and mimic their inflections.

Why are you even alive?

That flinch of anger and despair, the memory of his forearm in her chest cavity. Crackling electricity and the smell of ozone mixed with burned flesh and boiled blood. How did Naruto know about Rin and Obito? How did he know about the feeling of despair? How many times did he force himself to dodge? When the sharingan detailed the trajectory of incoming attacks. How many times did he have to deliberately decide to live? The worst part of it all was that Naruto had known.

He sighed again at the thought.

He checked the clock on the stump. Another five minutes until the test ended. Then he could fail them and go home. They showed some teamwork. But it was Naruto just conning his way and not three people selflessly trying to achieve the same goal. It felt petty, even to him.

The day before, during their introduction.

He saw something there. In the eyes. It was always in the eyes of people. They revealed a lot of things. Some might call it corny, but people only have so many things they can control. Their eye movements aren't one of those. There was a sort of calculating intelligence. That smug grin that suggested that he knew more than one assumed. Normally someone would have missed the forced stillness when Sakura gushed over the Uchiha. Or the self assured smirk of Naruto saying: 'I'll become Hokage believe it!" And yet it had been a lie or a half-truth. Kakashi had seen enough liars to last for a century, and yet it had been almost convincing. Only the tingling feeling in his chest that told him that something was amiss.

Something didn't fit.

Then today came around and the plot thickened. Because Naruto could feel him up to three miles away in his house. Snoozing. He could feel the ANBU that came to wake him up, and even knew which ANBU it was. This suggested an extremely fine sensor ability. It probably even extended to proprioception, if the movements were anything to go by.

Such feats weren't out of the realm of possibility. The sharingan worked much like that. Probably even better.

Kakashi was brought out of his musings when he smelled the sweat and grime on their skin. Only one of them was heading his way. The other two were circling around. Curious, he thought.

"I give up!" Sakura shouted as she ran towards him. She was caked with mud and sweat. Nothing like the prim and proper girl he met this morning. Her eyes were frantic as she came closer to him. Both of her arms were in the air, showing that she wasn't a danger to him.

How disappointing… He had never had a prospective genin give up. Sometimes they were too injured to go on. Sometimes they fought each other before they even tried to get the bells. But outright surrender? Never to this day. He resolved to talk to her Academy teachers after this was over.

He tried to walk up to her. Knock her out before she disgraced herself further. Then he felt it.

His shadow clone, nested atop a nearby tree, popped as a huge fireball almost engulfed him. Quickly he substituted with a log, the wood disintegrated when he landed on his perch. He looked at Sakura who was now smiling giddily. She held up one of her arms and a single bell was hanging there. She jiggled it a little and smirked. He looked at his belt and saw both of the bells still hanging there. Confused and disoriented he looked at Sakura again who was now running towards him. An illusion, he realized. With no time left to react he jumped down to avoid another kunai.

He caught Naruto's foot as it tried to impact his face. With a heave he tossed the blond away, only for Sasuke to rush him from behind. The boy dodged his kick and went for a throat slash. Sakura jumped on his back and hugged him around the belly with her feet restricting his thighs. Naruto was up again, he threw his last kunai at his knee.

Kakashi jumped in the air with Sakura still on his back. She was screaming shrilly when he shrugged her off. His eyes caught Naruto and Sasuke waiting for him to descend, he deflected Sasuke's shuriken with his own kunai.

After landing, Kakashi backflipped away to gain some ground. Naruto was already on his heels jabbing and kicking. Kakashi fought back and found that he had to put more effort than expected. The boy danced around his limbs and stayed close to Kakashi's feet. It was when the clock rang that Kakashi decided to end the fight.

The kids got distracted by the sound, so he seized the chance to retaliate. Faster than their eyes could track he kicked Sasuke in the stomach leaving the boy heaving. He flash stepped behind Sakura and lightly pinched her neck putting her under. He appeared in front of Naruto who was slack jawed.

"Do better next time." He said and then sent Naruto to sleep.

Kakashi stood amidst three gennin who came close. Too close to taking the bells. He could imagine their plan now that he saw most of it. It failed the moment he substituted with the log. They either didn't account for it, or they had expected him to do something else. If he had been less experienced, or underestimated them a bit more, they would have taken the bells.

Now only one question remained. Who would have gotten the bells?

Naruto was the first to wake up.

He was tied on a stump. Next to him, Sakura and Sasuke were also tied up. In the middle, Kakashi sat cross legged and ate. It smelled divine. Not as good as ramen, but good enough. His stomach growled, even though he went against the order and ate breakfast.

"We almost had you. You were surprised. It would have worked." The words were pronounced slowly. He didn't want to slur as he talked, it would have shown weakness. Instead Naruto spoke in a choppy, accusing tone.

The white haired man didn't pay him much attention and kept eating. Naruto could feel the smugness rolling off the man's skin like butter.

"You said something earlier… How did you know?"

"Know? It was just guessing with some deduction. I didn't lie you know. You are suicidal, and you are a jonin or ANBU going by the way you feel. People like you never seek out help, and so all that muck accumulates and shines through. I won't try to learn what happened, but I assumed you lost people and you feel responsible. The rest was just being generic enough for you to assume that I knew. "

Kakashi's eyes widened briefly before his expression returned to its usual placid state. "You two. I know you are awake."

Naruto looked at them with an arched eyebrow. They were staring at him as if he grew a second head. He didn't even feel them stir. Sakura was looking at him, an awed expression on her face, disbelief coloring her emotions. Sasuke was just staring ahead, lost in whatever brooding scene his brain conjured up.

"One last question for you three." Kakashi said. "Even though you failed, what would you have done if you had gotten the bells? Who would you have left behind?"

Sakura was the first to speak up, "I'd give the bells to Sasuke and Naruto."

"Sasuke and Sakura." Naruto said.

"The other two." Sasuke added.

Kakashi smiled, and Naruto knew that this one was genuine. A bright yellow pierced through the obsidian muck. The man nodded, "The test was never about you getting the bells. No one gets the bells. A day may come when you have to decide between the mission and the survival of your teammates. You might have to choose between teammates. Who to save, who gets to die? You are shinobi now. Soldiers for the Hidden village of the Leaf. You serve the Fire nation. But always remember, those who break the rules are scum. But those who betray their teammates are worse than scum. I am proud to be the squad leader of team seven!"

The trio cheered, and when they were done Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

"Son of a bitch! He didn't even untie us!"

It was evening already. Ichiraku Ramen was filled to the brim with jovial customers, a light buzz permeating the air as alcohol and sweat mixed together. They sat on the front of the tiny shack, people passing by on the street outside. The chatter all around them was exciting and quick. Words shot rapidly between people as they tried to speak over each other. Naruto felt at ease here. Singular emotions stopped being a thing, instead they all culminated in a sea of sounds, colors, and smells.

Sakura had already left. Went home to clean up, Naruto was munching on the last of his noodles when Sasuke spoke up. "You were dead last on purpose."

Naruto allowed the words to sink in. They were important. Sharp and accusing but the feeling behind was more akin to a stung pride and acknowledgement. Sasuke didn't need an answer, because he thought he already knew. So he nodded and slurped the rest of the broth, and wiped his wet lips with his sleeves.

"Well… Not so much on purpose." He amended. "I just didn't think that it was that important. Also the practical needed me to perform a clone technique. I can't do those to save my life."

"So how did you pass?"

"Ah. I'm a somewhat special case. My hand to hand is pretty good, I did come second y'know? And my grades in theory were good enough for me to pass. The Hokage waived the ninjutsu portion."

"So you can't do ninjutsu?"

"Not exactly. You know what the tenketsu points are?"

Sasuke nodded and Naruto went on, "Well, my tenketsu register pain when I use chakra without changing its nature to wind. I can use it, but it becomes extremely painful and if I overdo it my body shuts down."

"That's—"

"An inconvenience?" Naruto suggested. Sasuke nodded his head and took a bite from his noodles. "I guess it is, but to be fair I have some advantages that others don't have."

"That's how you knew where everyone was. A sensor." Sasuke realized.

"Yeah. Something like that."

"How did you know that we wouldn't pass if we got the bells?"

"It was a prisoner's dilemma." Naruto said.

Sasuke nodded and his lips parted slightly at the realization. Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yeah. The only scenario where we win — or rather, where we don't lose — is if we cooperate. In a normal prisoner's dilemma he would have separated us, but I think most kids don't even attempt to communicate during the test, so it's a moot point anyway. "

The pair settled in silence for a while. The restaurant's noises and smells drowned out whatever awkward tension, between the two.

Eventually Naruto spoke up again. "Let me ask you something then. Who made you like this?"

Sasuke's black eyes bore into Naruto. "Like this?" He asked.

Naruto had to ponder on how to phrase the question better. "People are like noodles." He said.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Noodles?"

"Mhm. Noodles, once baked are bland. They have no taste of their own, kinda like Tofu in that regard, don't you agree?"

"I don't see where you're going with this."

"Sorry. It's a bit winded, but I do have a point I want to make, honest!" He said. "We are all like that deep down, see? We are born with a certain shape and appearance. But really, all that we are in the beginning is flour mixed with water. Eventually, the noodles are boiled, seasoned, and put in a broth. They are mixed with ingredients that make them better or worse. A creation that is better than the sum of its parts. So are we. Bland and tasteless, until we grow up. We reflect the world around us, our experiences shape us and we affect the world as we believe is right."

"I see." Sasuke said slowly. "So you're asking what seasoning made me into who I am now?"

Naruto nodded with a smile. Delighted that Sasuke caught the reference.

"I think it was my brother standing over my mother's corpse saying I should learn how to hate." He said it as if he was commenting on the weather. Naruto could feel Sasuke reminisce, the memory no doubt replayed in the boy's mind as he said the words. He winced a little for bringing it up.

"Does that answer your question?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded and stayed silent for a while. Sasuke stood up eventually and laid some coins on the table. "Hn. I'm out." He said.

Naruto caught Sasuke's wrist and looked him in the eyes. "A short and fulfilled life, or a long and bitter one? What do you think Sasuke?" he asked.

Sasuke looked at him for a long while before he answered, "Shinobi are meant to endure."

"Tittering on the edge and constantly in strife?"

"Yeah. Something like that. See you tomorrow, dead last."

In the deep pit of purple and obsidian, a small dot of yellow illuminated the dark. It steadily went further away and eventually vanished. Naruto slapped some coins on the table and stood up. He said goodbye to the owner, Teuchi, and walked out into the streets. It was slowly getting dark. The sky was a pale orange. It gave the Hokage monument the false illusion of lifelike skin. As if the faces etched into the hill were actual people looking down on the city. In the distance, the Hokage's tower stood forlorn with no building contesting its height.

He steadily walked into an alley, and from there he climbed on some trash cans and jumped until his palms found purchase on the cracked wall. The sound of metal clattering sent some cats yowling away, but he was already on the roof of the two story building. The air cooled him down as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, and eventually he reached the Hokage tower. From there, he descended on the ground and weaved through the alleys until he arrived at a small apartment complex. As always it was empty, and the surrounding neighborhood was almost dead. Only his senses caught some people scattered in the disheveled buildings.

Two presences appeared nearby. Well... 'Appear' was the wrong word. He knew they were there when he changed course. He stuck to the shadows, and clung to the walls as he made his way. He climbed onto another rooftop and then he finally found them.

The woman was grunting in faux pleasure and the man on top of her was out of breath. Naruto scrunched his nose in disgust, but stood silent while the pair finished. She gave the man a kiss on the cheek and a smile when he gave her some bills.

Naruto jumped down when the man left the alley. "Classy lady my ass. Why don't you fuck in the middle of main street? Free advertising and somesuch."

She was young, only a few years older than him. Straight black hair and tanned skin. He felt her surprise fade into amusement when her brown eyes saw him. She chuckled and slowly fixed up her dress. "Little Naru! What brings you to my part of town? Got your first paycheck? Want to test this aunty out?" She wiggled her hips.

"I'm really not amused Shiki. You told me it was a hostess job. Now I find you in some shady alley, fucking some guy for money? Is it worth the tuition?"

Shiki sobered after that, the frown on her face turned into a scowl. "What do you know?" She whispered. "In your fancy ninja school, with things paid by Lord Hokage himself. You've never been hungry, or cold while you sleep outside. You never had to be looked down upon like you're a piece of trash. Just another street urchin. This. Job. Pays. Well. So fuck you."

Naruto felt her anger vanish. Surprise mixed with something akin to horror rose up and she walked up to him, her eyes wide. "Na– Naru. Look…" She tried to grab his shoulder but he ducked away.

"Don't sweat it."

They stood there in silence for a while. Eventually Shiki said, "Have you eaten already?"

He nodded and grabbed her arm as he pushed her outside the alley. "Let's go, I got some ramen cups at home."

The office was spartan, filled only with the essentials. A desk on the far side underneath a wide window. Kakashi walked through the entrance. The beige walls were barren, only the portraits of previous Hokage hung on the right. He eyed the Hokage who wasn't paying any attention to him. The older man was almost frail. The pipe in his mouth was still smoking, and weary eyes scoured a document. With a sigh, the Hokage stamped the paper and stood up. He set his pipe on the table and his arms met behind his back as he turned to stare at the village.

"I almost expected you to fail them." He said.

Kakashi nodded, "I still have some hesitance to be honest." He said. There was no reason to lie. The Hokage knew, either because of the ANBU in the outskirts of the training ground, or with some other means Kakashi wasn't privy to.

"You aren't one to get riled up like that. A good lesson for the future." The Hokage paused, "Tell me what you think of them, Kakashi."

"Sakura managed to fool me with her act, but that might have been my own bias about her skill. By all accounts, she seemed the type to give up at the first hurdle. Sasuke is skilled and talented enough. I think I could put him in an experienced team and he'd take to it like fish in water. Naruto…"

The Hokage interrupted with a chuckle, "He surprised you didn't he?"

"I think he might have intentionally avoided taking the bells. I only learned it after the test, when my clone popped. He– He knew my clone was listening in when he told them that if they took the bells they'd fail. Then told them the plan in signs, and executed it in such a manner that there wouldn't be a doubt that they could have taken them. I'm not one to toot my own horn, but that shouldn't be possible." Kakashi said.

"You underestimated them. A reminder that age and experience isn't a good measure of danger. Don't forget that Kakashi."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"Still, I won't fault you for it. Most people never encounter a Contractor."

Kakashi shuffled on his feet and shot a curious glance at the man, "A Contractor, sir?"

"Yes. Normally, a Contractor is an individual who willingly pays a price. In return they share they essence with a tailed Beast. The Beast will seek out the individual, and the individual will either accept or decline."

Kakashi's eyes widened, "The nine tails!"

The Hokage smirked. A wry expression playing on his lips, "Exactly. Naruto has the Beast's traits. A lot of Chakra, enough to fill an entire village of Shinobi and more. A great affinity to wind. His senses are exceptional, and I assume you've witnessed his other sense?"

"I think it's emotions, but I'm not sure. I thought it was some sort of chakra sensing."

The Hokage shook his head, "Yes. Chakra has nothing to do with it. I've watched him over the years, and he can feel emotions, but also the people around him. Their movements betray their actions. All combined together, the child is practically omniscient for miles and has an intuitive understanding of humans. Which is how he managed to catch you off guard."

"I see… And the information he had on me?"

The Hokage laughed, "He snuck in the tower yesterday. Don't worry, the information in your file is mostly redacted, but he doesn't need much to draw conclusions."

"Can you…"

The man raised him arm and shook his request off, "Already done. Everything has been redacted by now."

The room descended in silence. Kakashi wondered if he should leave, but he wasn't excused yet. The Hokage sat on his chair and lit his pipe. Weary gray eyes regarded him, "I have an assignment for your team, unless you'd prefer D ranks?"

Kakashi smiled, "I was hoping to torture them for a little while, but some excitement might do them good."

"Nothing too exciting I'm afraid. Do you know of the Kitsuki Academy for exceptional children?"

Kakashi shook his head.

The Hokage went on, "It's a school for aristocrats and wealthy children. A month ago, children started disappearing. Among them the Daimyo's treasurer daughter, Akari. The treasurer asked for help, but the Ninja Guardians denied him the request on the ground that it wasn't their domain. The Daimyo agreed to sponsor a mission to find her, and investigate the missing children. Your team is going to infiltrate the school and find out what happened to the children. This is strictly information gathering only. When you find who is doing this, you are to send for backup and then eliminate them. You leave in a week. "

"Ofcourse, Lord Hokage. It will be done." Kakashi turned to leave when the Hokage spoke.

"I love Naruto like a grandchild Kakashi. But keep your eyes peeled. He is a manipulator and a liar. He will do anything to get what he wants. The moment the kids show more loyalty to him than the Leaf? You come to me." The man's voice was serious. Nothing like its usual soothing calmness. Kakashi took the warning to heart.


	4. Chapter 2

Naruto sat on a dilapidated wooden throne.

A crown of thorns rested on his temples. The floor was blood, and it illuminated the darkness. On the other side of the room, near the entrance sat the Beast. Its tails swirled around in a circle. Naruto could feel the soft air currents caressing his cheeks. He didn't dare move. Instead he forced himself to relax into the throne. It was uncomfortable and cold to the touch.

He forced his face in a dull, bored expression and crossed his legs. "You usually stay quiet beast." he drawled.

The voice chuckled. "Can't I check in with my Contractor once in a while? And what a sight it was! You are a Shinobi now, little Contractor. I told you when you accepted. 'You will suffer. You will hurt. And you will bathe in blood...'" the voice moaned in pleasure. Naruto almost cringed at the deep echoing sound that reverberated on the walls of the throne room. It was guttural and ethereal. A hundred voices speaking in tandem. Different inflections that made his head hurt.

Naruto forced his eyes shut and sighed, "Not yet."

He couldn't see the beast, but he could feel its nod, "...And in return little Contractor, I will pave the way with bodies for whatever path you desire..."

Naruto made his voice sound bored, "You are always going on about the blood, Beast. It's a theme with you. Why do you seek it out?"

The Beast laughed, "Why does the sun rise in the east and set in the west? My motivations are not for the human mind to comprehend. I am what comes at the end."

Naruto boldly ignored the jitters in his chest and gripped the arms of the throne tighter. He forced a snort and imitated the words with a childish vigor "I am what comes at the end!" he chuckled. "What comes when you end, Beast?" he scowled.

The creature shuffled its paws and laid its head on them. An amused snort escaped its snout, "You won't live to see that. And if you do, you will wish you didn't."

Naruto's frown deepened, his eyebrows stuck together in a grimace, "You are naive Beast. I don't care what comes at the end. I wouldn't be sitting here with you if I did. All I care about is the journey. It's why I envy and loath you so. You will see it all, and you will disregard it."

The creature's bellow made Naruto wince. He shook his head to stop the ringing in his ears.

"Make no mistake, little Contractor. You aren't here by your own choice, someone else sold you and I valiantly accepted the payment."

"Who was it? You won't tell me, even after all this time?"

The byplay ended as it always did, "What will you pay to know then? A few years of your already short life? Or maybe a limb? Or your emotions? Or maybe, you'll pay in someone else's blood? I'll be here when you come to make an offer..."

Naruto woke up in a comfortable bed. The futon was thick and soft and he snuggled his pillow between his legs as he stretched and turned. His bones popped and the muscles  
groaned. He sighed in pleasure and finally opened his eyes. The room was unfamiliar at first, then the memories started rushing in. He tried to shake the sweaty clothes off his skin but they wouldn't budge away.

Kitsuki Academy's dormitories were luxurious. Nothing like the spartan and barren architecture of a hidden village. The floor was warm to the touch, pipes carrying hot water crisscrossed underneath. Each room had three sleeping quarters with wide futons. His roomates Jiro, and Yamada still slept when he passed their quarters and went to the shower. Even the bathrooms were luxurious, bronze faucets and marble sinks. The mirror was framed in gold plated metal. He felt queasy even looking at his reflection.

It was fogged up so he wiped it with his damp towel. Cerulean eyes stared back at him. His face looked a little gaunt, the baby fat shrunk away after years of training. His blonde hair was slicked and parted backwards in the normal aristocrat fashion. He looked like a tool. Without fussing around he washed his teeth and dressed. The uniform looked even more ridiculous than his usual orange pants. It was black, and consisted of slacks, a white t-shirt, and suspenders that kept the pants from touching his ankles. After a brief inspection he unbuttoned the top three buttons and nodded with obvious satisfaction. Finally, he pulled his shoes on his feet. They felt uncomfortable on his toes.

He tiptoed out of the dorm, and stepped into the halls. A quick inspection and he found Sasuke in the dining hall. Sakura was dressing, so he made his way to meet Sasuke. The boy was snacking on some toast when he sat next to him. Sasuke's hair were longer, so he had tied it in a small ponytail. The Uchiha's skin was paler than usual.

Naruto grabbed a piece of toast and spread some butter on it. He took a big bite and Sasuke shot him a disgusted look. "You look like a wet dog," he said.

Naruto snorted, "I'm no more a dog than you are, bastard. The stalkers found you yesterday?"

"Shut up. I had to climb over the roof and get into my room without alerting the wastes of air that are my roommates." He grumbled.

Naruto commicaly widened his eyes, "You seem a little annoyed there Sasuke. The bitch is showing."

"What?"

"You know. Your true bitchy self. I was wondering how long it would take to get through the layers of stoic detritus until we penetrated—" Sasuke slapped Naruto's head.

"Finish that sentence and I'll bury a poisoned kunai where the sun don't shine."

Naruto laughed and dodged another slap, "Kinky!"

"What are you idiots doing? It's not even seven…" Sakura grumbled and they turned around to look at her. Of the three of them Sakura was the one who took to her role like she was born for it. She was wearing the female version of the uniform. A black skirt that reached her knees with black leggings. A white shirt and a thin black tie. Her pink hair was wrapped around in a ponytail, with bangs framing her face. She was still sleepy. Dignified as always, she sat between them and took a piece of toast. She nibbled at it like a mouse.

They ate in silence. Early risers where walking in the hall. Sasuke was the first to speak up after he finished his tea. "Did Kakashi contact any of you?" He asked.

They both shook their heads, "I think this mission is a waste of time. What are we even doing here?" Sakura said.

Naruto nodded, "I haven't felt anything suspicious, and our arrival was obvious enough that whoever kidnapped the children is going to be weary about going after someone else."

"So it's someone from the school, you think?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto looked around and then whispered, "Who else? If they came from outside, someone would have seen them. And if it was ninja, they would have just rounded the children on the first go and be done with it."

Sakura chimed in, "Couldn't it be ninja who want us to think that they are civilians?"

"Sure. But that would mean that they knew that we would be sent. Unlikely seeing as we are a fresh team. No something else must be going on. Do you know who the other children were?" Naruto asked.

The others rolled their eyes, "Did you even read the documents?" Sakura scowled.

"No. I mean yes, I read them. What I'm asking is, who are they? We know the girl — Akari, whatsername — was the treasurer's daughter. But the others? Who are their parents?"

Sakura bit her lips, "Kentaro Akihiko, son of a wealthy businessman that recently went broke. Akira Fujita, daughter of the founder of Fujita Shipping Industries—"  
"Fujita? Like the Fujita river boats?" Sasuke interrupted.

Sakura rolled her eyes and nodded, "— Yes. And finally Kiyoshi Chino. Her family has close ties to the Daimyo, his daughter married into them. But Kiyoshi was from a branch family so unimportant in the larger scheme of things." She frowned.

Sasuke spoke up again, "Back up a little, this Kentaro. You said his father went broke? When did that happen?"

"I don't know?"

Naruto smiled, he clapped his hands to get their attention, "Let's ask around. The other students are bound to know something. It's only our second day afterall."

The others nodded and they went back to eating.

Naruto scowled at the door. Language lessons, in theory, would have been his favorite class. Weaving words, adding them together to reach a desired result. Every other schmuck could toss a knife and call it a day. Naruto wanted something more. He wanted to monologue over his downed opponents. Break them like puppets with their strings cut.

Instead he walked inside the classroom and eyed the horse look alike of a teacher. Miss Dai Hagiwara was a stiff looking woman. Lanky and tall, she looked like a skeleton. Her face was long and locked in a perpetual frown. Her glasses didn't help her, since they exaggerated the size of her eyes.

Her feelings were a copy of her exterior. A constant hum of disapproval and austerity. He wanted to break her. Naruto held back a retort when she eyed his unbuttoned shirt and clicked her lips. Instead he sat on his knees in front of his desk and uncorked the ink bottle.

Miss Hagiwara cleared her throat, "Today we are going to be practising the kanji for punctuality…"

Naruto rolled his eyes at the poorly veiled enmity and started copying the symbol on his scroll. His strokes weren't precise, but they were still clear enough to be legible if push came to shove. Hagiwara was strolling between desks, like a hawk she eyed everyone's work. Naruto forced himself to disregard her when she paused behind his back.

"Where did you go to school before coming to Kitsuki Academy, Mister Kaneki?" She asked. Her voice taunting enough that other kids nearby picked up on it.

Naruto smiled regardless. A challenge! He could do that. He focused on her emotions, "I was homeschooled by my mother, Miss Hagiwara."

Give me clues. Talk.

"Your mother was a commoner then? No self respecting person of culture would teach their child to scrawl like chicken." She said. Some kids laughed while others looked at him with sympathy. The woman's emotions soared briefly, a bitter green mixed with yellows betrayed her satisfaction.

Do you want her dead, little Contractor? Should I paste her on the walls; on the floors?

"I'm sure," He paused. Who was this woman? Once broken down to her basic components. Who was she? She was austere. But not because of her work ethic. She drew joy by needling him like this. But it wasn't some long lasting effect.

So instant gratification.

But why? Why did she pick him specifically? The answer was simple enough once he mulled over it. She picked him out of spite.

A woman in her forties. Unattractive by all accounts he could think of. She was stuck teaching children. Children who would go on to reep the benefits their parents had sown. No one in this classroom would need to work a day in their life if they so desired. He could see it clearly if he looked at her.

Jealousy.

She couldn't needle any of the aristocrat's children. Nor could she needle anyone whose family was too rich. The Kaneki name didn't mean anything to anyone. Rightly so, because a Kaneki family didn't really exist. In other words he was easy pickings.

With that realization Naruto smirked at her. Her satisfaction dwindled to annoyance when he assumed the most cocky pose he could. Like when he looked at the Beast. "I wouldn't be too concerned Miss Hagiwara. My commoner mother and I will probably never need to write anything; and if we do, I'm sure we could hire you to write it for us? Some pocket change wouldn't be a bad thing, yes?"

He almost closed his eyes to savor the moment. The exact second her astonishment shined through like a beacon. The disbelief that turned into furious anger. For how long would she remember this moment? He didn't even move when she backhanded his face. The stinging on his cheek was nothing more than a brief annoyance.

"Stand outside until the class is over. I won't tolerate such blatant disrespect!" She shrieked.

Naruto was already on his way out. His classmates were divided in disbelief and awe. He turned to one of the aristocrat's girls whose jaw was hanging in astonishment. As if he personally insulted her sensibilities — in retrospect he probably did.

Lash out, little Contractor. They are a step below and yet they dare question us...

Naruto gave her an exaggerated wink and closed the door behind him.

Sasuke kept his neck rigid as he stared at the blackboard. Even if he hadn't been a ninja, he would have still felt the eyes glued at the back of his head. He often caught himself wondering if he would have found the attention flattering had Itachi been a normal brother. If his mother would have taunted him about all the girls that stared at his face, or if his dad would have been proud.

Instead he was stuck in muck. Every step he made was slow, sluggish. His future was hazy and yet he had finally made it. The academy had been a laughable endeavor. Sasuke wondered if he should have joined in the first place. The money left behind would have paid for fifteen jonin to tutor him full time by now. Instead he found himself returning even though there was nothing new to learn. There was a sort of relief in the routine. An extra day he wouldn't have to worry about facing his brother. A dark corner in his mind kept whispering that he should just give up. Enjoy all that he had. It was enough.

He decided to stop wallowing on his thoughts, so he focused on the teacher. He didn't bother remembering the man's name. A short old man. Yet the teacher was wiry. The muscles strained underneath his skin. The teacher's voice was a monotone staccato of jiberish, and as the man spoke Sasuke's feet jittered.

He could be doing something. Anything really. Even some light jogging would clear up his mind and rid him of his eternal boredom. There was no enemy to be fought, no mannequin to whack his frustrations on, or a target to throw kunai at. How did these people live? He couldn't function like this. His arm moved up before he even finished deciding. The teacher glanced his way and nodded softly.

Sasuke stopped himself from rushing out of the door. He kept his eyes forward and avoided glancing at the students. When the door closed behind him, he took a deep gulp of air and then rested his back on the wall.

"I was wondering if you'd stay there the entire time." Naruto's voice was amused.

Sasuke scoffed and changed the subject."Why are you out?"

Naruto stepped closer and signaled with his fingers.

Clue. Moves. Alone. Perimeter. Sasuke nodded.

Together they walked down the stairs. The gardens that surrounded the academy were winded and intricate. Signs listed different destinations as they descended the twists and turns of trees and bushes. The perimeter wasn't much of one. It was a thick line of tall bushes with intricately carved rocks on the outside. The rocks were connected with steel fences. Sasuke followed along. He didn't bother questioning his teammate as they turned at seemingly random points. Eventually they reached the wall and Sasuke saw a young man peeking over between the scarce holes that had found their way in the neatly trimmed bushes.

He was around nineteen or twenty, handsome and reminded Sasuke of an actor he had seen in one of Princess Gale's movies. Long brown hair combed and tucked behind the man's ears, he had high cheekbones and a sharp thin nose. His clothes however belied his status. A simple grey cloth robe with a leather belt at the midsection. A farmer, Sasuke realized.

"Hello there!" Naruto chirped. Sasuke found himself scowling at the sharp sound.

"Hello." The man bowed politely and said, "can I help you, young masters?"

"We are just taking a break, are you looking for someone?" Naruto said.

"Ah, no. I was just observing the academy." Sasuke didn't need emotional sensing to know that it was a lie. It didn't make sense from a purely topographical perspective. The entrance was at the north side of the wall, it faced Kitsuki town. The farmlands were also on the northern border of the city in the direction of the capital. The unlikely trio was in the south.

"C'mon, we won't tell, right Sosuke?" Naruto nudged him with a smile on his face. Sasuke caught the hand signs: along; friend; information.

He forced the muscles in his face to constrict in an unfamiliar expression. It wasn't a nice smile, he knew. Partly because the man flinched. Naruto's eyebrows shot up.

"That's scary man, go back to scowling, please." Naruto whispered under his teeth.

The unfamiliar feeling of amusement was doused with the realization that Naruto knew that he felt that. Idiot, he chastised himself.

Naruto turned to look at the man. "Look, Mr…"

"I'm Kazuhiko, but you can call me Kazuo." the man relaxed when Sasuke decided to scan the surroundings.

He decided to let Naruto work the man and focused around him. Kitsuki town's walls were tall enough to block the sunlight from where they were. It was a chilly spring day, and the large shadow didn't do much to help. He forced his chakra to stir inside of him. It was like a river, swirling around in his veins. The warmth came fast, his muscles clenched and unclenched in repeating patterns. The rock made road that ran alongside the walls was well tended to, if he decided to jump over the wall he wouldn't have to worry about the landing.

A few minutes later, his ears focused back on the discussion. "—she didn't say anything about that."

Naruto was consoling the man. "Maybe she was trying to protect you? If the treasurer ever learned about you two..." Sasuke was still amazed at how empathetic the blond could be when he wanted to. A good reminder that he should be prepared for anything.

"But we've been seeing each other for over a year! She could have explained. Do you know if she's doing alright?"

"I'll tell you the truth, because I have a feeling that I can trust you. Can I trust you Kazuo?"

The man nodded eagerly. Naruto sighed like an actor on stage. "The treasurer hasn't seen young mistress Akari since last week. We were sent from Konoha to investigate. Now. I won't report the fact that you've been inappropriately seeing the treasurer's daughter. In return, tell me everything that happened last week. I'll know if you leave something out."

Kazuo froze like a stone when Sasuke smirked and started playing with his kunai. He could get used to this.

Sakura went through the math problems and scoffed at how easy they were. The class was silent while everyone struggled to finish the material on time. She left her arm move on its own as she focused on her real issue. This mission should have been right up her alley. No combat, so Sasuke wouldn't be disappointed in her. No social interactions, so Naruto wouldn't have to taunt her. Just an investigation, with clues.

The dots were there already. All she had to do was connect them.

She looked around. The class was grand. Golden tapestries covered the wall, the chandelier at the top was filled with crystals and glistened as the sunlight hit it at different angles. The mahogany desk felt soft underneath her fingertips as she tapped on it.

Missing children; Wealthy; Important; No.

"Tap. Tap—"

Missing children; Wealthy; Parents; Important; Yes.

"Taptap. Tap—"

Parents; Important; Trade; Politics; Maybe;

"Taptaptap. Tap—"

Parents; Money; Trade; Broke; Yes.

"Taptaptaptap—"

"Miss Nakiri! Please stop that noise!" The sharp reprimand jostled her out of her train of thought. Her cheeks reddened. With a mumbled apology, she finished double checking her assignment just before the bell for lunch ringed.

Sakura gathered her supplies in her bag and left the class as fast as her feet would take her. When she sat on their usual seat in the dining hall, Sakura noted that the boys weren't there. She felt annoyed when they didn't show up. Five minutes before the bell rang she stood up and slowly started making her way to the next class of the day. In the main hall somebody grabbed her wrist and pulled her into an empty classroom. She tried to scream but a palm found its way on her mouth.

She was about to panic when Naruto's electric eyes narrowed at her. It took him a few seconds to remove his hand.

"The parents are the targe—" They spoke at the same time.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "How did you find out?" She asked.

Naruto smirked, "We found ourselves someone who knew young mistress Akari personally." She shivered when the words left Naruto's mouth. What kind of shady people did they meet?

"What about you?" He asked.

"The kids themselves aren't important. Their parents though? None of them have siblings except of the treasurer's daughter. I think they are being extorted."

Naruto nodded. "I was afraid it would be something like that."

She scowled. "So you didn't know?"

"Technically you don't know either. You are just guessing." He said.

She was about to disagree when he raised his palms in the air. "Calm down. I'm not saying you're wrong. But that still doesn't explain why they took the treasurer's daughter."

She realized he was right. Abducting someone so close to the Daimyo was reckless. It could spark a war if it ended up being another nation. After the assassination of the prince a decade ago, Fire country razed the Land of Hot Springs to the ground; they didn't even use ninja to do it.

Sakura bit her lip. What if? "What if she had nothing to do with it?"

Naruto asked, "it?"

"What if she heard something she wasn't supposed to? If she was just an accident? Think about it, if the young mistress was never abducted, would a mission ever be started? Do they even know who she is?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "That would fit what we learned. She was often in town with one of the farmers' son. They often met in the red light district. He said that she looked nervous last week, but he thought it was because of school work."

She nodded. "We should find Kakashi and talk this over."

"Sasuke is on his way to get him. We'll meet at the west side of the wall."

"Right." She turned around to leave when Naruto's arm caught her shoulder. "What is it?" She said.

"I know I've given you flack with all the teasing. I thought you were useless. But it seems that you have a talent that is yours alone. Good job Sakura."

The tickling feeling in her stomach didn't subside even in the boredom of female etiquette lessons.

&

Kakashi crouched underneath the wall and stared at his students. Their findings painted a grim picture of the situation they now found themselves in. He was impressed. He had to hunt down and question people to get what he had now. Instead, the brats just deducted or in the boys' case got a lucky catalyst. If he hadn't know what he did, he would have denied their investigation on ground of baseless conjecture.

"I have been hearing a name thrown around. The Fujita Shipping company declared that it was selling off most of its shares today. Akihiko Toriyama has gone bankrupt, an unexpected development as far as such things go. His debt was bought by the same person who bought the Fujita shares." He said.

"Who is it?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi smiled softly. "Gato."

The boys looked confused but Sakura's eyes lit up, "I see. So we have a suspect now." She smiled.

"Are you guys going to explain, or do we have to read your minds?" Naruto grouched. Sasuke nodded his head lightly and scowled.

"Gato has recently become one of the most wealthy entrepreneurs in the world. He controls the Eastern Sea trading routes. I heard some Jonin talking about how Wave has dropped all missions since last year. The governor of the island refuses patrols on his borders. Coincidentally, Gato has settled in Wave." She finished with a smile.

"So what are we going to do?" Sasuke asked.

"Nothing. We are to report back to the Hokage. This mission is done."

"No." Naruto said.

Kakashi's eye narrowed. Naruto quickly explained, "This is still conjecture. The old man won't act on it unless he has other information that we don't. We should pay the Fujita or the Toriyama patriarchs a visit and question them. Now that they aren't who they used to be, no one is going to care if we question them somewhat forcibly."

"No. We are going to report back. We follow the mission only."

"Kakashi Sensei." Sakura said. "We have the week to gather more information don't we? There's nothing wrong with doing our due diligence. Besides, the Fujita estate is in Tanzaku Gai, only half a day's travel."

"What she said!" Naruto smiled.

Kakashi turned to Sasuke. "And you?"

"I'd rather spend the week outside than going back to the village. That being said if you want to report to the Hokage, I won't disagree. You're the Jonin Kakashi."

The man nodded. "I see. Then you are on your own. I will shadow you and intervene if you are in danger. But if you screw up? It's on you." He finished and let the clone burst. A mile away Kakashi settled into his perch atop a tree and smiled.

"Well that happened." Naruto said.

"Should we leave now? If we travel half the way now and half in the morning we'll be back tomorrow night." Sakura said.

"Yes. I'd rather not stay here longer than I need to." Sasuke agreed.

Naruto settled his hands on the back of his head and whistled a soft tune. "I always wanted to visit a big town. Too bad we won't get a chance to do some sightseeing."

&

The sun was rising when Tanzaku Gai appeared on the horizon. They were wearing their normal ninja outfits. Naruto with orange-black striped trousers a black shirt and an orange jacket. Sasuke was wearing the normal Konoha outfit green and dark blue with the Uchiha crest on his back. Sakura wore a red Kimono with dark blue pants.

Team seven slowed down about half a mile before the entrance. Caravans were trotting in and out of the city. The morning hustle and bustle of the city mingled with the cacophony of people shouting in their market stands. Naruto eyed the guards who were staring ahead, seemingly not paying attention to the people passing by. One of them saw them but quickly averted his eyes. Ninja enjoyed the right to travel anywhere in the Land of Fire. People seemed apprehensive around them, but only Sakura felt uncomfortable at the attention. They were about to pass the gates when the guard approached them.

"Mission?" He asked. His voice was gravely and sounded tired. Naruto felt boredom mixed with annoyance.

"Sanctioned by the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf village." Sasuke drawled.

The guard's nod seemed exaggerated but Naruto thought the guard just didn't want to put the extra muscle power in his neck to keep the heavy metal armor in place. "Should we expect trouble?" The guard asked.

"We aren't expecting combat." Sakura said.

"I see. Please enjoy your stay then."

The team passed without further questioning. Sakura turned towards a small bakery and walked inside. She came out a little later with some bread and tea. The trio climbed on one of the taller buildings and settled on the roof. They ate in silence until Sasuke spoke up. "We should split up."

Sakura shook her head. "What's the point? We only need to talk to the Fujita patriarch." She wrung her hands together when he looked at her.

"We are working under the assumption that Gato is behind this all. If he is extorting Fujita, do you think that he would just let the man stew in his mansion alone? If it was me, I would keep him until the transaction was finalized and then kill him and his family off. No point in letting loose ties behind."

"That doesn't explain the splitting up." Naruto said.

"Think. Wouldn't he have ninja guarding the man? We should see if someone has talked with Fujita, look for anything that doesn't fit."

Sakura nodded. "So who is doing what?"

"I'll ask around in town. See if I can pick up anything suspicious. You and Sasuke can go scout the mansion. See if anyone's patrolling, or if you can grab a maid or someone who works there."

"See if you can swing down by the Ishikari river docks. You're bound to run into someone who knows something." Sasuke said to Naruto.

The blond stood up and crushed the paper wrap. He gulped down his tea and let the cup fall down. He was gone by the time it landed. Sasuke scoffed. "Show off."

The remaining duo climbed down and started heading towards the estate in the north. The buildings in Tanzaku Gai were on average bigger than the Hokage tower. Built out of concrete and metal, they were modern and in Sasuke's opinion ugly. The roads were filled with people going about on their business. Sasuke and Sakura had to duck and weave underneath the sea of human bodies. Eventually they reached and intersection that led towards the better part of town. The crowd begun to thin out until the tall plain-looking buildings gave way to a sparse expanse of twisting roads with mansions on their sides.

The mansions were more traditional. Reminding Sasuke of his own home in the Uchiha district. Wooden and surrounded by large gardens with Koi fish filled ponds. Unlike his own home, here he could hear the bamboo fountains rhythmically emptying water and refilling. The road ended at the foot of a hill. At the top of the hill rested the Fujita mansion. The building resembled the Kitsuki academy architecture. Stone combined with traditional wood and metal, large twisting spires at the corners of the building gave the impression of a small palace.

"Have you noticed?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke nodded. "It seems too empty, doesn't it?"

"The other houses have workers tending to them. And the grass—"

"Unkempt." Sasuke finished her sentence. He pulled a kunai out of his pouch and slid it underneath his sleeve. "Let's walk around the perimeter."

Sakura matched his actions and nodded "Okay."

Naruto made his way towards the docks. He let his feet move in a sluggish pace as he passed the people by. In the back of his mind the city was a collage of colors and it painted a bleak picture. There was unrest across the people, a seal primed and ready to explode.

Ah… We could watch the fireworks, if only we shook the cockroaches a little. Make them scutter for an exit.

How much work would it take to start a riot? He'd need to learn why they were all so tense. The atmosphere in the docks was even worse. He eyed the myriad of workers carrying cargo in and out of ships. The river was so wide, he could barely see the other side, and it was filled with ferries and boats returning from early fishing trips. The fish market smelled all the way here, and Naruto's nose twitched at the smell of rotten fish intestines and stale water that gathered in ponds made from broken stone and dirt.

He looked at the center of the plaza that was the entrance to the fish market. A small fountain was placed in the middle, and in front of it someone had created a stage with room for one or two adults to stand on it.

"What's the stage for?" He asked one of the passersby.

"One of the Gato's representatives is going to be doing a recruiting pitch now that Fujita's gone down the drain.

"The Shipping company?"

"Yes. Something happened and now the company is going down in flames. Rumour has it that Fujita messed with the nobles and now he's being burned for it."

Naruto turned to get a better look at the man. He had short spiky black hair and black eyes. He had a small white rope tied around his head which was tied on the right side, and a small cross-shaped scar on his chin. He wore a black T-shirt that had a white outline and a white pair of pants.

"I came here from Funajimi to search for some work. You think they'd hire me?"

The man looked at him. "Aren't you a little young for work? You should be learning your numbers and letters, not carrying cargo in the muck, boy."

"My sister's sick, sir. And my father died yesteryear to some bandits." He scowled. "Can't learn letters when there's no food on the table."

He felt a little uncomfortable when the man genuinely showed sympathy. "I see. How about you come over here at noon? I can introduce you to a friend. You know how to count?"

"Best arithmetic student in my class, sir!" He lied through his teeth.

The man nodded. "They need someone to check deliveries. The pay isn't the best, but it's good enough."

Naruto smiled. "Thank you sir, I'm Naruto by the way."

"I'm Kaiza. See ya later then fishcake!" Kaiza rushed past him and into the crowd, so Naruto didn't manage to protest. Nor could he stop the smile from stretching his cheeks.

&

The plaza was full. Dock workers had gathered in front of the podium and passersby paused to stare at the large crowd. Naruto weaved through the bodies and climbed on the roof of the fish market. He sat on the edge and crouched. It was then that a man climbed on the podium. The workers cheered and the murmurs stopped when the man cleared his throat.

"People of Fujita Shippings, I am Samaji Kotomaru. We are hard working people. We put food on our tables with honest work. We are the spine that holds everything together." The man started. Naruto could feel the crowd hanging on every word. The man standing on the podium had a saccharine voice. It was deep, but without the gravel one would normally expect. The words were spoken almost silently, and everyone strained their ears to listen.

A convincing monkey then. Listen. Learn.

Naruto felt a rush as he listened. No one knew the man, and yet he already had their respect. Another hour of talking and they would do whatever he told them. He took a better look at the man. He was misshapen with limbs that were pudgy and out of proportion. His nose was crooked and a scar ran down them man's eyebrow to his chin.

"Fujita misstepped last week. He agreed to work with enemies of the Fire Nation, in doing so he was convicted of treason. Gato — my employer — has bought all previous assets of the company, and Fujita Shipping will not be running by next week. "

The crowd broke down in murmuring and yelling until Kotomaru clapped his hands. "Calm down!" He said, "Mister Gato has agreed to keep all employees of Fujita Shipping. It will take a little time until we finalize wages and budgeting. Fujita has taken a big hit to its reputation, in doing so we are unsure about the extent of the damage. Until we do so, no employees will be fired. The headquarters will be moved to Wave, the Tanzaku Gai location will remain as a branch office. Which leads me into the reason I came here. Please talk to your supervisors if you are willing to relocate to Wave for a long term contract. A new line of ships and ferries will be put into production and we need all hands we can get!"

The crowd started cheering.

Naruto listed the facts as he knew them. Abducted children; a possibly accidental involvement from the Daimyo's court; a recruitment pitch; in the middle of it all a faceless man called Gato. He didn't know why, but he suspected that this wouldn't be an easy mission. Not easy at all.


	5. Chapter 3

The corpse was already rotting. Sakura was in the corner of the affluent room, doing her best to keep her breakfast in. She failed. Sasuke was examining Lord Fujita's corpse. His eyes scanning for wounds, a tiny trickle of blood had already dried out at the base of his skull. "Senbon." He said.

"How can you be so calm!" Sakura yelled, her fingers pressing her nose to avoid the smell. She fidgeted when Sasuke turned to look her way, an expression she couldn't decipher on his face.

"You'll get used to it. Come here, what do you think of this? Poison?"

Sakura walked up to the corpse, her eyes taking the sight in. Lord Fujita used to be a handsome man. Regal features and a rich mane of dark ebony hair tied neatly in a bun. His eyes had been closed, probably the killer, she noted. He was sitting on his chair, the Sushi dish he had been eating would smell if it wasn't for the decomposing body right next to it. It was untouched. "Five days, six? Can't tell for sure." She said.

Her palms lit up in a dense greenish color as she scanned for poisons. "No poison." She added.

"Since when can you do healing techniques?" He asked her.

Sakura shrugged. "Needed extra credit to get first kunoichi in the rankings. Ino beat me in the physical portion, so…" She gestured to the still luminous technique.

"When were you going to tell?"

She pursed her lips and looked away. "I'm not very good at it yet. Can do some first aid, but nothing advanced enough to count in the field."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "You just checked for poisons, looks pretty advanced to me."

Sakura didn't respond, and Sasuke didn't care to continue the conversation. Instead he walked around the room, "Where are the servants?" He mused.

All the windows were closed from the inside. No sign of forced entry. Some water was pooling near the window, he guessed it was due to the rains. "You have any sealing scrolls?"

She ruffled through her pouch and extracted a scroll. Medium size, enough to hold the tents for an entire team. She tossed it to him. Without wasting time, and hoping to get rid of the stench, Sasuke walked up to the deceased and touched the scroll on his back. With a bit of applied chakra, the corpse lit up in a blue light and poofed away.

"Nothing for it I guess. We should find Naruto and go."

"To Konoha." Sasuke ordered as he finally managed to tie the scroll on the infernal bird's talon. "And quick."

The eagle squawked loudly, its wings spanning an impressive distance as it took off. He pointed at his forehead protector as he passed the cashier who scowled and exited the postal office. Naruto was squatting on his knees, a stick in his hands as he poked an anthill. "This is frustrating." The blond said.

"What can you do?" Sakura said. "He's been dead since before we left Konoha. Even if we had found out quicker…"

"That's not it. We will never get anywhere at this pace. Worst of all, we probably won't even be here until the mission is over. I want to go after Gato!"

Sasuke snorted. "Did you expect to get a high rank mission so early? We've barely even seen any combat. Besides, if I understand it correctly, the Fire Nation has no influence on Wave. The only reason this is even a mission is because the Treasurer was involved. Which seems to be an accident."

Naruto pursed his lips. "So you're ok with this?"

"I don't much care to be honest. I just want to finish as many missions as possible and get a promotion. Then join the Hunter Corps."

"Sheesh. That stick up your ass must be tickling…"

"Will you both shut up!? We just saw a dead body, doesn't it even affect you a little? This is out of our league. I don't care if you have special powers or whatever, I'm not inclined to go off and fight until we've at least gotten some instruction!"

The boys looked at her as if she grew a second head. Feeling the veins in her forehead throb she stomped the ground. "Ino and her team are doing D Ranks! D! They've been cleaning dog kennels, and babysitting. Why do we have to get the corpse cleanup mission? I mean, it was fun while in school, but this is ridiculous!"

Naruto and Sasuke were speechless for a moment, Sakura was panting, her face red. Someone chuckled behind them. "It seems women keep being the voices of reason."

"Where have you been Kakashi-sensei?"

"Ah, you know, doing Jonin things while my cute little students play at investigators." He drawled.

They spent the next hour filling him in, Naruto wondered if it was even necessary, Kakashi didn't seem surprised by any of the news. When they finished, Kakashi sighed a soft breath and stretched his limbs. "There's no point in returning to the Academy. We'll let Lord Hokage decide how to proceed." He passed them three keys, "That's for your rooms," he said. "Meet me tomorrow south of the fish market, I'll have to train you I guess."

"What will you be doing, sensei?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi's eye crinkled in mirth, "Jonin things," he said and then disappeared.

"Show off." Naruto mumbled.

"Matatabi has been sighted on Naoi Island." Zabuza said.

Gato eyed him from his desk, a newspaper in his hands. "Do you think it will pass through?"

Zabuza stared out of his window, the sky was filled with grey clouds, "Who knows. Our contract ends if it comes. There's no point in fighting."

"Most of the Land of Waters has sunk, and the Fire Nation won't send help. If Matatabi attacks this people will die." Zabuza noted that Gato wasn't actually talking to him, but to Haku. Fucker. He scowled.

Zabuza touched the handle of his sword, the familiar metal felt comfortable in his hands. "Do you know what's good about being a mercenary?" He asked.

Gato smirked, his eyes glinting behind the round glasses. "Why don't you tell me?"

In the blink of an eye, the six foot long blade embedded itself in the wall behind Gato. The short businessman didn't shift or even twitch. Zabuza's eyes widened a little, he had wanted to slice a bit of skin from the man's face. He composed himself and glared at Gato. "We get to choose our own hours… And employers."

Gato smiled and nodded. "I'm sure." He stood up and walked up to the window, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared at the construction taking place near the docks. "How did your mission go?"

Haku who hadn't spoken since his arrival said, "Lord Fujita has been successfully removed. Konoha is investigating however, although I don't know why."

Gato nodded. "That's fine. Did they see you?"

The masked ninja shook his head. "I was gone by the time they found the body, no evidence left behind."

"Good. Then until next time. Enjoy yourselves in all that Wave has to offer!" He cheered.

Zabuza was out the door by the time Gato turned around.

Gato rolled his eyes as the door slammed close. His eyes drifted to his reports, numbers flying in his vision, calculations taking place on the fly. Ways to take over the economy of the world presented themselves to him. The clock on his wall kept ticking a rhythmic tattoo while he worked. He didn't hear footsteps behind the door, but the floor shifted by a tiny degree indicating movement.

"Come in." He said.

The door opened, one of his mercenaries behind it. "Lord Gato, we found the escapees."

Gato didn't look up from his work. "I see. Anything I should know about?"

The nameless grunt gulped, "One of them is Akari Nishimura, the Fire Daimyo Treasurer's daughter. The other, Akira Fujita was found with her. They tried to catch a ship to the mainland."

Gato winced. How did they miss that little tidbit of information? He scowled, "Take her to the cells."

"What of Fujita's daughter?"

"She isn't needed anymore. Do whatever…"

The grunt smiled and nodded. With a respectful bow he closed the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _On a moonless night, the sun escapes._

 _Three times she'll dance. Three times she'll fail._

 _Fill. Fill. Fill. Try again and again._

 _In a moonless night, the world will end._

The cage stank of grime and human refuse. Akari could smell the stench but it had long stopped making her gag. She laid on the cold stone floor, her clothes wet and stuck on her skin like leeches. It was cold but she couldn't feel anything.

 _I can give you everything, all it costs is your soul._

Something menacing reverberated deep inside her head. Almost like words, soothing her from her nightmare. Her escape attempt with Akira failed. Kenta and Chino-chan were already dead. Akira would be next. Her eyes strained for tears, but there were no more left to give. No matter how much she thought, how many scenarios she conjured, Akari couldn't think of a way to save them. Nothing she could have done.

The cries for help and mercy, the laughter of men while they tortured them. Akira would be next, a fate worse than death.

 _Fate is for the ignorant. I can make you master it. Control it._

She eyed the cell next to hers. Akira was silent, her beautiful red hair was slick with dirt and mud. Her friend was sobbing, the men laughed when they delivered the news of her father's death. Lord Fujita had been a nice man. Always caring of his workers and their families. Now he was gone…

"I miss Kazuo." She said out loud. No one responded. "We'll get out of here, you hear me Aki? We will succeed next time."

 _Not as you are._

Akira didn't respond.

 _Here. Have a sample._

Akari gasped when the cage vanished, the walls disappeared. She found herself flying in the sky. Underneath her she could see the entire world. Places beyond the maps stored in Kitsuki's library. The land came closer and closer, and everything shifted. Kazuo was at the Academy's gates, concerned for her. Afraid. Two boys she didn't recognize were talking to him. A blond boy was smiling as he threatened the man she loved. The other boy was amused.

 _That blond one, he is of the Extractor. Must live. Cognitive protocols indicate high probability of success. Problem solving protocol lost. We had to find a solution._

Akari looked around for the voice, but she was alone in this vision. "Who are you?"

Instead of an answer, the world shifted. She was in the cage again, floating above a thousand versions of herself. Different actions led to different consequences. Everything led to something. Ten percent of those led to her saving Akira. She scowled and focused deeper into the tapestry of fate. Tonight, men came to take Akira. She wouldn't let them. Actions queried, the solution was so close she could taste it. Just a little. Bit. More.

The world shuddered and the tapestry fell apart before her. She was still in the cell, Akira was still sobbing. Akari wanted to scream. "A little bit more. Just a little!" She begged.

 _Silly human. For that I need your soul._

Something faraway and dangerous spoke to her again. But she couldn't hear the words. They were so complicated, filled with meaning and full of details. Her brain couldn't take it. Couldn't take it at all.

 _Soon, silly human._

Akari's world went blank.

The fifty-three-thousand people of Tonika village took three days and nights to die. Jiraiya stretched his legs as he took in the devastation with a sultry look in his eyes. He turned around to look at the culprit. She was ankles deep into some poor fucker's guts, a soft whistle of a tune on her lips.

"Three days, Princess? You are getting slow." He teased.

The 'teenager' chuckled without looking up. "All these years, and you still don't understand art."

"Now, now." Orochimaru said from the edge of their perch, "Don't squabble like children. It was a nice vacation while it lasted."

The following silence lasted for a few more moments until Tsunade got bored with the body and threw it aside. She stood up and walked to the edge of their small balcony and stared at the smoking city. "Plagues are tricky things, Jiraiya. They involve many details I won't bother to explain, but the reasoning is simple. You can either make them spread fast or slow. The faster they spread, the less people you kill. The slower they kill, the longer they spread. It's all very interesting to be honest, but I should have gone with spores. Something flashy that grows in the lungs, maybe?" She scratched her chin.

"Maybe next time, Princess. Any news from our old friend?" He looked at Orochimaru.

The pale man smirked and nodded his head. "The attack will take place during the Chunin exams in the Leaf Village. Four months to prepare."

"Interesting… Does he still think he'll manage to replicate the Project?"

Orochimaru laughed, "Silly man. He keeps poking at things he cannot understand, he'll get burned for it."

Tsunade looked up. "What of the boy? Any new orders?"

Orochimaru shook his head, "Still palling it up in Rain. We'll see him when he wants to be seen. Now, let's move, Konoha will be coming soon."

"The first thing people never hear about before they graduate, is Tobirama Senju's first Law of Chakra. It's all very scientific and detailed, but I don't trust your little brains to understand it. Nor do I want to start a jargon-filled lecture. The short of it is this, you can either have little chakra and perfect chakra control. Or, a lot of chakra and little control. Which means that no matter how long Naruto here trains, he will never hit optimal efficiency in his ninjutsu. Sakura on the other hand, will probably never reach the high end spectrum of chakra capacity. Sasuke here, is the most balanced of you three, with above average reserves, and adequate control." Kakashi finished his little lecture and focused on his students. Sakura was thinking about it, Sasuke's right eye was twitching, and Naruto was drooling asleep. Kakashi kicked the boy's shin and added, "Any questions?"

"What's the application of this theory?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask and nodded. "Very good question. All it means, is that Naruto will never cast an illusion in his life. Or that you, will never manage to learn something chakra intensive like the Shadow Clone technique. It's really just a rule of thumb for people who are trying to decide on what path they should take their training to. I was planning on enrolling you into the Hospital Medic-Nin department. Illusions and such I can teach you myself.

"Sasuke is the only remaining Uchiha, so teaching him Sharingan techniques falls on me," he pointed at his covered eye, "Which leaves us, Naruto."

"Oh! Oh! What about me sensei? Will you teach me any cool jutsu?"

Sasuke and Sakura were also paying attention. Kakashi walked up to a nearby tree and with a casual gait walk atop the bark. "Before we do any individual training, you will learn to do this."

He couldn't help but laugh at their misery.

 _Matatabi sighted near Naoi Island. Wave possible target. Investigate possible countermeasures and create opportunities for take over in case of attack._

 _Previous mission non-important, secondary._

 _Signed, Shimura Danzo, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Elder Council_

On days like these, Kakashi wished his teacher was still alive. Hiruzen was old and weary, something he would never dare say to his face. For all of his strength, the God of Shinobi was frail and dwindling. And there was no one to take his place. Vultures like Danzo aside, the previous wars had scarred the military might of Konoha. The tailed beast attacks and minor wars waged by Lords with too much money and little sense. The Sannin were driven insane, and that removed Konoha from the strongest major hidden Village. Now Rock, and Lightning were sniffing the air like sharks, hoping to take a pound of flesh for old, unresolved grievances.

What would happen if Matatabi drove him insane too? Kakashi didn't know, and he often wondered, if it was even possible for an insane man to lose his mind. If not, then he had nothing to worry about.

 _Tell me, why are you still alive?_

Kakashi flinched, a small tingling sense of wrongness blossomed in the base of his spine and traveled throughout his body. He focuses on the kids trying to walk up the trees with nothing but their chakra. So much potential… What would happen to them if Matatabi attacked?

 _People like you, they don't look for help._

He rubbed his neck and sighed. It didn't matter in the end. He was their teacher, it was his duty to protect them. If he had no reason to live, he'd find it. And if he couldn't, he'd at least die for them.

He smiled a soft smile as Naruto and Sasuke finally managed to climb to the top. They were caked with sweat and wheezing for breath, but the obvious satisfaction on their faces made it all worth it. He clapped a little and beckoned them forward. With a job well done, he sent them to wash up, keeping Naruto behind.

"You are brooding again. You're an adult, sensei, it doesn't become of you." Naruto smirked.

Kakashi forced his eye not to twitch. "Here." He pressed the blade into Naruto's palm. "It's a chakra conductive dagger, try it with your Wind chakra exercises. On your own time of course."

The boy smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it."


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _"_ _The origin of the Beasts is unknown to this day. Punishment from the Gods for man's hubris? Children of the stars? The Beasts have kept humanity in turmoil since times long forgotten. I refuse to believe some intangible explanation that cannot be proven. Until such a time we receive more clues, I consider them nothing but disasters; no better or worse than winds that uproot the land or earthquakes that shatter plains. Don't fret people! For man perseveres, and with each disaster we become stronger. Like winds and earthquakes, the Beasts too shall pass. In the destruction's shadow, the leaves shall dance and bud anew."_

 _-The third Hokage's memoirs._

Haku remembered the destruction. Waves tall than mountains, unstoppable as they ravaged the lands. Islands sunk in the wake, and new islands formed as the Three Tails restructured the Water Country. Amidst all that his people were fighting. Massacres that removed bloodlines and entire clans, children swept away by the waves. No one came to fight the Beast, and no one stopped fighting each other.

It that there that he realized the nature of man. The terrible thing even worse than the Beast. Hatred. People he had loved turned around to stab him, his Ice release – untrained though it was – couldn't stop the waters, but the people didn't care that he was trying to help. Only the ice that appeared at his instruction bothered them.

His footsteps didn't make a sound as he approached the window. He started casting the technique as he walked, familiar sequences he didn't have to think anymore. His fingers moved on their own. Haku turned into ice, his body shifted into a thin see through sheet as he slid between the miniscule space of the window's frame.

His target was alone in his dining room. No servants left to care for him, all his money gone, and his daughter captive. Lord Fujita didn't even startle as he plunged his senbon needle into the Lord's neck.

"Forgive me." Haku said as the Lord's life drained from his eyes. "You wouldn't care, but it's nothing personal." He told the corpse, and exited the building with the same gracefulness he entered it.

Days later, a miniature ice clone melted when Leaf Ninja found the body.

He didn't know how, or why, Gato knew to say what he did. Zabuza wasn't weak like him. His Master wouldn't fall for obvious sentimentality. It was one of the reasons Haku followed the man. He wouldn't have to fall for the same old traps if Zabuza was in charge. He was a tool, an instrument to carry out his master's will. After all, a tool couldn't be evil.

And yet he wanted to help. Wave was prospering under Gato's rule. An economy that would soon rival a major nation, everybody was fed and educated. If the Two Tails attacked it would all be destroyed. It would twist the people, make them caricatures of their old selves. If the Sannin couldn't withstand it, what would a bunch of civilians do?

He walked the streets of Wave. Smiling crowds and rowdy children covered every corner. In the east, the sails of new ships towered over the tallest of buildings. Haku could almost imagine growing up here. Away from all the bloodshed, amidst children his age and adults who didn't want to kill him. His mother's smile – he barely remembered her face – radiant as always as she sent him off to school. No knife throwing, no hand to hand combat. Only letters and numbers. He'd find a boy his age, someone stronger than him but gentle, and then maybe travel the world. He could see it in his mind's eye, no beasts, no wars, only the sails of humongous ships and the salt in the air for companion.

Haku didn't notice the soft smile on his lips as he continued deeper into the city. Maybe this once, he'd convince his Master that this place was worth fighting for. It was only right to at least try.

"Subject Thirteen shows adverse reaction to liquids. Time passed since initial activation of Agent has passed twenty days. Subject doesn't need food or water, special skills aren't reproducible. Batch Seventeen will now proceed to further analysis, but I do not hold much hope for reproduction of Project Genesis. Although I remain hopeful. We have had significant progress. However, Lord Orochimaru's remaining research indicates analysis through space-time seals. Said seals and research material has of course been lost in the Nine Tails incident..."

Shimura Danzo watched the blathering scientist as he tossed needless facts and unrecognizable terms. The man was obviously skilled and passionate, his arms waved widly around as he explained how they triggered the newest subject's Agent. In hindsight, Danzo should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Years of experience tempered his frustration. It took geniuses the likes of Senju Tobirama, Orochimaru and Namikaze Minato to even get them to the point they had been thirteen years ago. In one fell swoop the Tailed Beast had extinguished it all.

The researcher's voice took a questioning lilt, and he focused on him. "How long until we reach our previous state?"

The researcher winced. "I'm afraid Lord Danzo, it will take decades to reach that point. Without the proper inter-dimensional theory we just can't isolate the Agent. What we see in the brains of the subjects is just a local representation of the Agent. Even that, is a discovery we couldn't have known about without Lord Namikaze's research into the field."

Danzo nodded his head. "What do you need to accelerate the pace then? Money? Staff?"

The man pushed the glasses higher up his nose. "There has been news of new space-time theory progress in Rock Country my Lord…"

Danzo arched his eyebrow. "And how do you know that, Kabushi?"

Then man forced a smile down, "Research like that rarely remains quiet in Academic circles my Lord."

Danzo nodded. "I see. You are dismissed, continue as you have. For now…"

His personal bodyguard dropped from the ceiling in a kneeling position when the researcher closed the door behind him. "Your orders?"

Danzo couldn't help but smile at his well trained operative. "Keep an eye on that child, remove him if you see something suspicious. Send team twenty one to investigate his claims."

The operative nodded. "It shall be done, my Lord."

A week passed before Kakashi gathered them again. The man was a ghost for most of the time, only appearing in Naruto's range a handful of times to eat and sleep. His attempts to follow him had failed in increasingly spectacular fashions. Naruto shuddered at the memory. It involved a cat, two dogs, and a granny.

The team's water walking was deemed sufficient by Kakashi, and so he was ready to proceed. "We are leaving for Wave tomorrow. I have a side mission there. While I'm gone, you will proceed with the investigation on the missing children."

"What will you be doing?" Sasuke asked.

"Sorry, can't share. Top secret, would-have-to-kill-you-if-I-told-you type of stuff."

The team rolled their eyes while Kakashi grinned. "Don't lose your way to Wave, bye!" He disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

They were all staring at the now empty spot their teacher used to be. Sakura took a deep breath and then exhaled. "For a moment, when he started the lecture last week, I thought we were finally seeing our teacher's competent side."

Sasuke snorted.

"We can walk on water guys! Let's go to a hostile country and spy on it, while our teacher does random shit!" She yelled.

Naruto snorted.

"This isn't funny, you jerks!" She slapped them softly, then with a dejected shrug she started moving, her head hung low.

"Wave isn't in that direction, Sakura."

"Assholes." She muttered.


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jindo had lived a long life. In these waters he slaved away. Back and forth; back and forth. He rowed, and rowed for most of his life. It was a thankless job. The boat was nameless, bought by his father's father with Jindo's grandmother's dowry. Those were different times, an age when the Land of Eddies still existed. Sailors lived all across the shores of the Fire Nation back then, they ferried merchants to the Land of Eddies. It took skill, all the trepidant waters filled with violent swirls that would suck ships to the bottom of the ocean. His grandfather used to regale Jindo with stories of the Three Tails, Isobu. The land taker, the life giver.

The story, Jindo remembered, started with a princess. She was a fair and beautiful maiden, when it rained outside and waves dug the lands she stared outside at the sky with a sad look on her face. Her people starved and died, and the Princess wanted to help.

So she set out to stop Isobu. Weeks later, lost in the rain covered forests of the island, starved and near death she came face to face with the Beast. It made no sound, offered no indication that it even saw her. The Princess didn't care. She screamed at the Beast, begged for mercy. Not for her, never for her. Only for her people. Isobu refused, it asked for a sacrifice.

The Princess offered to never again walk on land, and Isobu never attacked the Land of Eddies again. Even in his fifties, Jindo heard the Princess sometimes. Or maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him as he sailed the oily still waters. Shadows in the fogs and the smell of flowers. When he was lost, he couldn't say how but a nudge here or there, his hands moving without him knowing. He'd find his way back again.

Jindo shook his head and smiled. What a funny thought, _"Spirits in the mist."_ He chuckled.

Row. Row. He rowed once more. Lately, his rowing became harder. His muscles ached more, the calluses didn't heal like they used to. Even with all the pains and aches, and the rattling of his frail old bones, Jindo couldn't find it in himself to be sad at his life. It was a good one, all things considered. He heard the sound of hammers on steel, shouts of men as they lifted something. The smell of fire and oil. Wave Country was doing good again. Ever since that man, Gato, came and started his business. Jindo was scared of the man, when he first saw him. Gato had an… Inhuman quality to him. Not like those ninja who crowded him everywhere he went. Oh, Jindo was sure, Gato was a normal man. Yet, the movements felt alien. The ways the man turned his neck, or his eyes took a while longer to blink. The fake, almost mechanical smiles. All calculated, Jindo knew.

But he couldn't argue the results. The economy of the city bloomed in a matter of months. They even got some tourists!

 _And tourists were a good thing._ He thought to himself. His passengers were silent for most of the time. It was sad in a way, the would be his last. The bridge to the mainland would soon complete, and with no children to take the nameless boat he'd have to stow it away – not sell it. Never sell it. – and enjoy his retirement.

The father, or uncle, for they didn't seem to be closely related, was an odd one. Grey hair even thought he couldn't be older than thirty. He was wearing an eyepatch, his remaining eye focused on Icha Icha: Desire. Not the best of the series, but the last installment was ten years ago, and Jindo lamented that he'd never find out what happened to Hikari.

With a fond smile he watched as the only girl of the group scowled at the man. She'd grow up to be a beautiful woman, Jindo just knew. Wide eyes and expressive features, with an exotic hair color. The two boys who completed the group were also interesting. He'd expect children their age to talk more, smile more. But these times rarely allowed for genuine fun.

"Whatcha heading to Wave fo', youngers?"

The grey haired man didn't look away from his book as he spoke, "Business. Couldn't leave this rascals on their own."

Jindo smiled, "Ay. Childs they time can been a hand'fa. Yes, yes. Bizi, bizi's good these day'uh."

The blond boy cracked an eye open and smiled at their discussion. "That's an interesting dialect you have old man. Where is it from?"

Jindo couldn't help but give a toothy grin. "Its'uh from the day'uh of the Eddie Land, y'know? Ay, the Uzumaki were good folk'uh, kept the Eddies afloat, the Princess did."

He didn't know why the kids looked surprised, but after a moment the blond kid's smile widened. "You don't say. So the Uzumaki, they were a clan?"

Jindo nodded. "Rulers of the Eddies, they weres."

"What happened to them?" The girl spoke, a wary glance at her blond friend.

He didn't have time to respond, his boat touched the docks and they lurched a little to and from until they were stable again. With a limber jump he climbed the platform and tied the boat on a stump. He offered his hand for his passengers but they shook their heads and climbed themselves. "Ay, the Uzumaki were taken by what everything takes'uh, n'thend." Jindo smiled in sadness, "Time."

The tourists thanked him and paid a generous tip for his storytelling. He watched as they walked past the docks and into the city. He was untying his boat, ready to get back to the Fire Nation shore when a hand touched him from behind. He turned around to look at the boy. "Whats'it lad, forgot something?"

"You love this boat, don't you old man?"

"Ay, I do'sa. But what's—"

The child put a pouch with coins in his palm, "This is to hire you. Go back to the Fire Nation shores, don't come back here for a month."

"Lad, this'uh of my last jobs. Can't take yous coins." He shook his hands.

The boy just pressed the pouch into Jindo's palm. "Then this is a gift, for telling me some of my story. Thanks yous'uh."

Jindo took a moment to realize what the boy was saying, he couldn't help it and laughed, the calling of the Princess or the spirit echoed in his ears, told him to stay away. So he nodded and after a bow jumped into his nameless boat, and rowed. Rowed away.

 **A week later…**

Naruto walked around the streets of Wave, a blanket of general happiness warmed him to the bone. It was moments like these were he found himself disliking people. Hatred was a familiar throb in the back of his mind. Something he could distance himself away from, and give his objective attention to. In a village full of mercenaries, happiness such as this was hard to come by. Everyone was haunted by their demons, missions gone wrong and wounds both fresh and old. Konoha wasn't some god forsaken place filled with glum and doom, but it was average (at least to him). The path was filled with scattered stands and shops, merchants yelled at the top of their lungs hoping to attract customers.

Some of the workers brought from out of the island were enjoying their time off. Women hung on their arms as they traipsed along the crowd with a slight buzz from the alcohol. Evening would come soon, but for now there was still construction going on. Skeletons of buildings taller than the Hokage Tower back home, were being filled with concrete and metal. Material too flimsy for a ninja village. It made sense to him, the buildings back home had no solid foundations beyond the necessary. This meant that after an attack everything could be remade quickly. These buildings here were made to last for decades.

After inspecting his surroundings, making sure he wasn't being followed or observed, Naruto stepped into an alley and quickly walked up the walls of the ten storey building. He reached the roof, it was filled with tools and buckets strewn around, thrown aside by the workers.

"How are you following us, sensei?"

Naruto watched as Kakashi remained silent. Every interaction these past few weeks since they left for Wave Country was colored by awkwardness from Kakashi. It was an annoying feeling, only made worse because Naruto couldn't find rhyme or reason for their continued mission.

"What's the real mission, Kakashi? Did you bring us out here for a vacation? The girl is probably dead by now, and if she isn't I haven't found her."

"Come here Naruto."

He walked up to his teacher. As he came closer to the edge of the rooftop the sprawling city underneath him expanded into its full glory. For a moment he was reminded of the Hokage monument, only this sight was grander, bigger.

"This is the second time I've been in Wave Country, this is the only city on the island, did you know that?"

Naruto shook his head, but it didn't seem as if Kakashi was expecting an answer. "The first time I came here," Kakashi continued, "It was a slum. Rickety houses and shacks filled with starving families. One of the Seven Shinobi of The Mist had set up his base here and ruled with an iron fist. We removed him. That… was five years ago."

"So you find it weird? That they thrive?" Naruto asked.

"Not weird. Just sad, what a waste."

The sentiment of regret hit Naruto like punch. "The Hokage and the Daimyo confirmed that the girl was taken by Gato. Independently. There is a chance that Matatabi might attack, it's been sighted nearby–" Kakashi stood up and looked at Naruto. "One way or the other, this city is to be razed to the ground and this land to become a Fire Nation protectorate. Our reinforcements arrive at the end of the week."

Naruto stood silent for a long while. Searching for the appropriate words, but his mind couldn't reach them. The more he looked the more they slipped away. "And the girl?"

Kakashi patted his head, "It's why I brought you kids with me. Search for her, maybe we can avoid this massacre…"


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 _Connection Variable, invariable range restriction. Status: Online_

 _Observation Protocol, variable calculation. Status Online_

 _Conflict Engine Two: Connection Online. Status Operable_

 _Conflict Engine Nine: Connection Offline. Status Inoperable._

 _Awaiting further instruction…_

 **Two Years Ago…**

Izumi danced alone inside her jail cell. She liked dancing. On the ballroom floor, as she twisted at just the right angles, she spun, and jumped, and twirled, and in that moment of exhilaration and absolute confidence, she was free. She was six years old when she danced for the first time. Her awkward steps and stumbling were shameful, but her father had a wide grin on his face, as if it was perfect. Over the years that grin had shifted into pride, and he would tell anyone willing to listen about his daughter's dancing talent.

 _"_ _She was invited to the Daimyo's court."_ He would tell them, and they would respond with cheerful compliments. Izumi never cared for the compliments, or the opinions of others. Somewhere between puberty and adulthood, Izumi stopped caring about her father's opinion as well. Along that path, her father shifted too. He stopped attending her competitions, and eventually he stopped smiling when her career came up in discussions.

Even still, she came once a year during his birthday to celebrate and catch up, but after countless arguments and acerbic tones, Izumi stopped coming altogether. She was happy with her life, until that day happened.

It was a stupid mistake really. Nobody was at fault, people fell all the time, and as a dancer, one eventually learned how to make those graceful and painless. It might have been thoughts of her father, or one of those simply unlucky days that everything just goes wrong. A broken ankle wasn't such a big deal, but she would miss the year's tournament, and wasn't that just a shame?

Weeks passed, then months, and when she healed and tried dancing, once again she always stumbled and fell. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't. Her father came to visit, and when she explained what happened, he _smiled._ Izumi saw something incomprehensible in that moment. Something so big floating between stars and heading her way. It knew her, as intrinsically as she knew herself. It had been with her for most of her life, watching, judging, as she danced and twirled and became alive.

When she opened her eyes, everything was wrong. Her dad was disfigured, wrong, wrong, _wrong!_ She couldn't recognize his face, when he looked away she forgot how he looked like, who he was. When he looked back at her, it was a stranger, in her house. Smiling with lips she couldn't see, and eyes that had empty eye sockets and it was all so ugly and wrong.

A moment passed as she took that in.

She attacked him.

As she danced in her cell, the world snapped back into focus. Everything had a balance, the truth of the world snapped back into reality, the beautiful angles, and the rhythm of the imaginary music in her head. It was wonderful, fantastic, awe inspiring, like a beautiful flower shining in the dark. Therefore, she danced inside her small cell, imprisoned but more free than ever.

She laughed, cackled really, and the guard slammed the scabbard of his sword on her cell, its ring reverberating everywhere. It sounded maddening to her ears; it interrupted the rhythm of the world. She hated it. It angered her. In that moment of incomprehensible rage, she saw _more_ and she understood how to break the cell lock, three long-winded steps, and a pirouette to kill the guard. With his sword, she would dance her way out of this prison.

She would be free.

However, plans were pesky things and couldn't be trusted. The energy inside the man swirled in unnatural patterns his movements did not fit the reality of the world. He was wrong, unnatural like that man in her house had been. She slammed the lock with her foot, the flimsy thing shattering underneath the force. Twirling around and giggling, Izumi moved outside towards the guard. He was yelling something she couldn't hear, or rather she didn't care to hear, and the rhythms told her other guards would come soon.

Faster than she ever moved she was upon him. His empty eye sockets moving in ways that indicated surprise. Izumi smiled a wide toothy grin, and with a spin, she broke his neck. Everything became repetitive after that, every guard moving in distinct ways but familiar patterns.

She shattered other locks, freed other people whose patterns made sense, but killed those whose patterns didn't. There was chaos and a lot of commotion, but it made sense to her ears, the rhythms were nice and melancholic, quickening and slowing at precise moments.

Izumi left the prison empty of alive things, and when she got out, the first thing she saw was the moon. It too sang, but the sound was muted, perverted, and wrong. She could not stop the scream that escaped her throat, or the agonizing pain that followed. Only the rhythms that soothed her the next morning kept her sane.

 **Present…**

"You know what I think?"

Kintaro rolled his eyes, exasperated at this entire ordeal. "Ryota, I don't give a flying fuck about what you think. Can we please get this over with, I have a wife and a kid to feed, y'know?"

Ryota did not seem to listen as he shook his head. "I think this is bullshit, alright? This chick? She'll kill us; I didn't sign up for this."

Kintaro ignored him. It is not as if they didn't know the danger. They were mercenaries. He couldn't exactly disagree with his partner, that woman was a basket case. One sound or footstep out of line and she would go on a murderous rampage killing anything in her path. But the money was good, so good he would make an entire year before needing another mission. And that was after he split the money with Ryota. Most of the veteran mercs always warned against that kind of greed. Low risk, low pay was always better than high risk and high pay. Nevertheless, with a kid on the way and winter approaching, he had to put food on the table.

Finding jobs was not easy with ninja running around, so he would take anything he could get. Even if that meant some lunatic playing court in the boonies. They approached the 'Palace' that belonged to a long deceased aristocrat whose name he could not or cared enough to remember. It looked luxurious. Three storeys, a large balcony in the middle. There was no light, and the entire mansion was silent in the darkness. Some moonlight illuminated the building just enough to give him the creeps and he shuddered.

"We can still turn around and leave." Ryota whispered, his eyes roaming everywhere, looking for trouble.

He shook his head and passed through the open, moss-covered gate. The grass was unkempt and covered everything. He had to step over it to keep on the path. Ryota lagged behind him, twitching at every crunch of his own footsteps. As they approached, he could here soft humming from inside, it grew louder and louder as they walked inside.

"Upstairs." Ryota whispered.

He nodded and walked up the staircase, with bated breath and his heart threatening to escape his ribcage. The sight that greeted them was fantastic. Even in the darkness, he could see her clearly. Tall, taller than any woman he had ever met. She was dazzling in a way he could not articulate. Long graceful limbs and dark hair that flowed like water to her waist. She was dancing and humming a melodic tune, not step out of place, no movement wasted.

When Ryota cleared his throat to get her attention, he almost throttled him. He turned back to look at her dance but she had stopped.

Her eyes focused on them. "Visitors? At this hour?"

Kintaro could not say why he bowed so deeply. "Please, forgive our intrusion." He said as he pushed Ryota into a bow.

"Stop grovelling. What did you come here for? To kill me?" Her tone shifted as she spoke. Words intonated in different ways.

"We have received word that you require assistance for a job." He could have went on a tirade about how they had gotten word, or why they were so late. All the excuses felt short in his mind, irrelevant to her and therefore irrelevant to the discussion. She walked up to them, but he dared not move.

"I see," she said. "And I suppose you believe yourselves to be adequate?"

He pinched Ryota's neck, and bowed deeper. Some instinct in his gut told him she would kill them both if Ryota opened his stupid mouth. "Quite so, milady."

"Humph." She clicked her lips. "I guess you will do. What of the woman?"

"She told us that if we got the job, to tell you that she quits your arrangement."

"Is that so? Then your first job is to find her. Dead or alive, I want her here. She is special."

And that was that. Their first order received, they walked outside again, and made their way back to the town. Only when they reached the gate, did Kintaro realize he could breathe again. With a heavy sigh, and knowing look passing between the two, they started their mission.


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The knife felt right in his hands. It had a comfortable weight to it, his chakra flowed into the metal and it hummed to his ears, it was part of him. Naruto slashed upwards again, the energy propagated and extended across the blade, splitting the air like an invisible blade. It felt nice, cathartic even. He sat on the now empty rooftop and contemplated the situation. What did he want to get out of this? What tools did he have in his disposal? He was not sure.

The fledgling city was abuzz with activity even though the sun was setting; the oranges and flickers of dark blue in the distance soothed him. When he signed up to become a ninja, it was with the expectation that he would get to travel. He would be able to see the world, affect change. In hindsight, it was probably the only path open to him. What with his Contract to the Nine tails. His first mission felt akin to throwing a toddler into a deep lake and asking them to swim. There were a myriad plots, different factions, and different desires. He could not tell who was 'right' and who was 'wrong'. Only that he had to complete his mission. This lack of flexibility irked him more that he expected.

He flicked the blade once more and then sheathed it. His wants did not matter now, he decided. Standing up took him a while, the city underneath him, covered with the colors of its people mesmerized him more than he wanted to admit. In that moment, Naruto thought he could understand his teacher's regret a little more. The unfamiliar fear the swelled in his chest made him shudder. The higher ups and eggheads could keep their plots and wishes. Since the shinobi profession required his life in exchange, he would at least make something out of it. As he stared at the people, who looked so much like ants going about their lives, he imagined a thousand Shikis or Teuchis, or Ayames. It was the little people that would be hurt the most, those without powers or training, but so much else to give. A friendly smile to a random orphan on the street, a bowl of ramen, or even the offer to push the swings. Love and appreciation was an uncomfortable feeling for him, those kind of emotions were duller than the sharp tang of hate, and he often found himself wondering and double-checking.

Without thinking, he crouched once again and drew his knife. He had Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke who was extremely skilled and smart, good enough to complete objectives by himself. Sakura who had a very good grasp on theory and chakra, and who could make connections and solve puzzles given enough time. Between the three of them, this mission should be simple. Now for his objectives, to save Akari, or confirm her death. Depending on that outcome, he had to find a way to stop the attack from Konoha.

 _Remove Gato?_ Should he? Could he? Was he allowed to? Questions again. Asking Kakashi was not possible. It was best to ask for forgiveness than permission. Naruto was confident he could sway Sakura to help, but would Sasuke cooperate? The boy was apathetic at best, callous at worst, and although Naruto valued those aspects of him, they would not help in this particular situation.

 _The Uchiha has known loss. Shift that to something you can use._

However, Sasuke did not strike him as a sociopath. There was empathy there, feelings of happiness and relief that he had witnessed at times. Could he cajole that sympathy, bring it to the fore of his mind? Reminding the boy of his dead family left a bad taste in his mouth…

 _There is no other way, little Contractor._

Naruto decided he would find a way to make it up to Sasuke once they returned to the village. For now, there was no other way. His internal monologue stuttered. It was a just a gut feeling but he was almost sure that someone was watching him. Nothing appeared on his senses.

 _Ah. You can feel her on your own. That is good. Very good. She has been watching you for a while now—_

The hairs on the back of his neck stood rigid and he felt a shiver crawling down his spine.

 _—_ _She is coming you know, little Contractor. The one of many faces, Life-taker, Life-giver. Can you feel her looking at you? Miles away. So far away. Her eyes see everything she is everywhere. Right now, little Contractor? She is behind you._

Without thinking he rolled forward, he twisted the knife in front of him and slashed, the wind blade hit nothing. "What's going on? Who are you? Where are you?"

 _Silly child. Did I not just tell you?_

Confusion and fear struck him and it was like nothing he felt before. He was used to knowing where everyone was, that this experience was almost alien to him. No matter where he went it would always follow him, he would never escape. The shivering became violent and he could feel his ears ringing.

 _What is this? He is mine, pest._

In the blink of an eye, the feeling disappeared. He stood on the empty rooftop, sweat rolling off his skin. Nothing. It was nothing. He was just being silly. As he walked down the building, Naruto almost believed it.

"Is Sakura asleep?" He whispered.

Sasuke nodded but did not look up. He was cleaning his gear, the kunai and smoke bombs neatly stacked in rows. "Did you talk with Kakashi?" He asked.

"Yeah, but we need to talk, all three of us?"

The Uchiha stared at him for a moment, and then nodded. Naruto knocked on the door of her room, "Sakura, wake up." He waited for a few moments until he heard shuffling and walked back to the living room.

They sat silent in the dark of the room when she walked in. "What's going on?" She mumbled.

Naruto smiled. "It's about the mission and how we are going to proceed."

Sakura rolled her eyes and plopped on the couch next to him. "Can't this wait until the morning? I've been roaming around town all day talking with people."

He shook his head. "I don't think it can. We have between a week and a week and a half before this city gets torched to rubble."

Naruto almost chuckled when Sakura gaped at him, the sleep fleeing her eyes. "What are you talking about?" She hissed.

"Kakashi told me earlier today. The Daimyo wants Wave under our control. It would have happened anyway, but the kidnapping accelerated the plan. Wave provides an entry to the Water Country Islands, and it can serve as the base for Fire Nation fleets."

"It makes sense." Sasuke interrupted, "Before Gato, Wave had trade and mission agreements, and so it wasn't a big deal for us. But now, with Rock and Lightning expanding and building up armies it makes sense that we would have to react somehow."

"Where do you get all this?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura gaped, "Don't you guys read the weekly intelligence reports?"

Naruto shared a glance with Sasuke. "Intelligence reports?" They said.

She fell on her back and took over the couch, her hands covering her face as she groaned. "What have you guys been doing all these years? Low level reports about general topics have been available for all Academy students in the Library."

"Library?" Naruto spoke up.

"You suck."

Naruto laughed and they fell into a comfortable silence. After a few minutes, Naruto decided to tell them. "No matter what happens, this place will be Fire Country by the time we go home. The Daimyo it all destroyed, but that would kill many people, and I would like my first mission not to end with a genocide. So I have a solution that both of you won't like."

Sasuke cleared his throat, "I don't see why we need a solution. It's not like we can just disobey the Daimyo."

"Well, disobey is a strong word. I was thinking 'appeasement'."

"Such as?"

"If we find Akari, and remove Gato, then there is no reason for them to destroy the city. We could convince them that destroying this entire infrastructure would be a waste. If it's morality that won't sway them, then greed just might."

Sakura shook her head. "The Daimyo doesn't need money."

"If what you said is true, then time is worth more. The shipyard dry docks and construction equipment are all here. Destroying and rebuilding them, alongside the staff needed, would take months to gather." Naruto said.

"Fine. And Gato?" she asked.

"What about him?"

"He has a team of ninja protecting him. Some of the locals told they looked strong, at least five of them."

Sasuke interrupted. "We should speak with Kakashi about this."

"No." Naruto said.

"Why not?"

"Because if we tell him, he will be obligated to stop us, and he wouldn't have told me what he did if he wanted to stop us. He told me to find Akari, but even if we do, it will not stop the Daimyo from destroying the place. There are _hundreds of families_ here Sasuke. These are _real lives_ we are talking about." Naruto did not look away as Sasuke flinched. The sudden shift of colors almost made him dizzy as Sasuke briefly relived his worst memory.

"Look," Naruto went on as if he did not notice, "Let's sleep on it, and we can talk about it tomorrow morning, alright?" he said and stood up.

Sakura followed and headed for her room when Sasuke spoke up. "Fine. I am in, but only if it is a good plan. We won't be making any stupid mistakes along the way."

Naruto turned around and smiled, trying to hide the relief he felt. "Of course." He said and entered his own room.


End file.
